


The Hero's Bow Has Broken

by supershadsy



Series: Limit Breaker [8]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:05:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6335368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud decides to ask Link about his past in the Smash house, specifically his relationship with Zelda. He directs him to Samus, who tells him the whole story from start to finish--no matter how long it takes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> The true prequel to [_Limit Breaker_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5716948)! Special thanks to @AlexSonata for once again betaing this work!
> 
> This is a...bittersweet story, to say the least.

Sunlight filtered into Cloud and Link’s dorm room, casting a warm, yellow light against the blue walls. At the desk, Link was re-stringing his bow, each motion he made careful and precise as he tightened the strings, and adjusted the knock. Cloud, in the meantime, sat back on the bottom bunk, eyes glazed as he stared at the bedpost. _Drills are over for the day,_ he thought, arms crossed over his chest. _I could see if I could gather enough people up for a Smash Run, but I don’t really want to fight anymore. Or even just do some target practice, but...ugh, I’m in a haze._ Link’s shuffling was quiet and soothing in the background. _Maybe once Link’s done that, we can do something easy together…_

Three knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts, bringing his eyes back in focus. “Who is it?” he asked.

“It’s me.”

Link shot up immediately, pushing his things aside and rushing to the door. _“It’s me”. And with that pitch, that usually means it’s…_

He flung it open, and Zelda stood at the door, holding his Master Sword in her hands. “Hello,” she greeted, a small smile to Link, and a nod to Cloud. “This is all sharpened for you, Link.”

He nodded with a grin, gingerly taking it from her hands to inspect the blade. It was shinier than ever, the blueish tint even more prominent, and he ran a finger from the tip over the edge, mouth slightly open. Zelda flinched, tugging at his arm. “Don’t do that, you know it’s sharp--”

A pinprick of blood oozed from his finger, but he shook it off, sucking off the wound and giving her a thumbs up. She crossed her arms and shook her head. “What to do with you?” she sighed, laced with amusement. Link and Zelda’s eyes met, lingering for a palpable period of time. _Every other time I see them talk, it’s like they’re having a silent conversation with just their eyes,_ Cloud thought, his jaw growing tight. _I still never have asked…_

“Cloud, did you need your sword sharpened?” she asked. It was propped up against the bed, tall enough almost to reach the top bunk. “I can take it over to Ike for you.”

“It’s fine,” he replied. “I might do it myself later.”

“As you wish,” she said. “I’ll...be going, then.”

Link waved as she shut the door behind her, and a smile lingered on his face as he carried the sword back to his desk. It wasn’t one that Cloud was familiar with, however--it faded slow, and didn’t flush his cheeks. A distance lingered in his eyes. _Hm._ “Hey, Link?”

He blinked over, head cocked in question. “Did...something ever happen between you and Zelda?” he asked.

Link nodded, deliberate and slow--a long swing up, and a sigh as he came down, chin against his chest. _“Why?”_ he signed.

“I-I don’t know, I was just...wondering,” Cloud said, regret soaking through his nerves. “You act different around her than everyone else. And...she’s the only one I’ve seen you speak to.” _Besides me._

He nodded again, turning away toward the window. The sunset light cast yellow across his eyes, nose, and mouth, warming his eyes to a strange, green hue in contrast to their natural blue. His mouth became drawn, as if a thousand words lingered on his lips, but refused to come out. _I probably shouldn’t have asked,_ Cloud thought to himself, sitting up on the bed. _Damn my curiosity._

Nonetheless, Link began to sign, each of his fingers moving at a laborious pace. _“I would rather not talk about it.”_

“Yeah,” Cloud huffed, waving his hand. “Forget I asked.”

Link hesitated, then shook his head. _“You can ask Samus,”_ he signed, then covered his mouth.

“Samus?” He raised an eyebrow. “Why Samus?” _I’d honestly rather hear the truth from you. Was it that bad?_

 _“She was there,”_ he signed simply. He walked over to Cloud, kneeling in front of him so that they were closer to eye level. _“A lot happened then. There are things I…”_

Cloud grasped his hands, fumbling to cup them in his own. “It’s okay, really,” he said. “It’s none of my business anyway--”

“You should know,” Link whispered, his face level and serious. “There’s more to it than...just that. So…”

Cloud stroked the side of his hand with his thumb, and realized that Link’s hands were slightly clammy. “I should?” he asked quietly.

“You should,” Link replied. “I trust you.”

 _Ah._ Link punctuated this with a weak smile and a squeeze of his hands. “All right, then,” Cloud said, starting to sit up. “I’ll go ask--”

“Mmn,” Link uttered quickly, shuffling closer to him on his knees. “Not right now.”

“Hm?”

Before he could think, Link had wormed his way between his legs, and stretched his neck up to kiss him, easy and gentle. _Yeah, it can wait,_ he thought, letting go of his hands in favor of draping his arms over his shoulders. _Let me have this first…_

* * *

 

The next day, Cloud found himself wandering through the east hall of the dorms, scanning the room numbers. _211 is Samus and Zelda’s room,_ he mused, numbers passing him by. _Odd numbers like ours are on the opposite side of the building, but this is right on the same floor._ 215 passed him, and he had to backtrack a couple rooms, where the correct number gleamed in gold on the door. _It’s as good of a time as any, since Link is out doing a Smash Run with Sonic and some others._ He rolled his shoulders back and knocked twice on the door. _Here goes nothing._

It was Samus who answered, in pajama pants and a t-shirt, her hair down for once. “Hey, loverboy,” she greeted. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t call me that,” Cloud said, pouting and crossing his arms.

“Who’s that?” Cloud spotted Zelda at her desk, papers and books scattered across it. Unlike Samus, she was still in her standard outfit, neat and put-together as ever.

“It’s just Cloud,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “So, what? Did you want to spar with me today or something?”

“N-no,” he said. _I should’ve known Zelda would be here too. Now how do I ask this?_ “I wanted to...talk to you about something.”

“About what?” Her gaze was hard and scrutinizing. “What’s this about?”

“It’s...ah…” Cloud’s eyes couldn’t help but flicker back to Zelda, and Samus definitely caught him. “Well, it’s about…” His hands found themselves automatically signing Link’s name--an “L”, held out like a sword with one hand on his wrist, then brought to his chest. _Wait, she probably doesn’t even know sign language._

Still, all the pieces of his fumbling seemed to click in place, as she straightened up and lowered her voice. “Really? Why don’t you ask him?”

“He told me to ask you!” Cloud hissed, vainly trying to keep his voice down.

Samus turned back toward Zelda, who took no notice in their conversation, then redirected herself back to Cloud with a sour look. “Fine. Meet me in the observatory in half an hour. We’ll talk there.”

“Okay.”

The word barely left his mouth before she shut the door again, leaving him alone in the hallway. _Well, that was pretty to the point._ He turned on his heel and stared at the carpet while he meandered back down the hall. _The observatory again, huh? Better start making my way there, with that stair climb._

_Now I really wonder what I’m in for…_

* * *

 

Samus was there in precisely a half an hour, just as she said, looking more put together in her Zero Suit. “We’re not fighting, you know,” Cloud mumbled, hunched over on the one couch in the room.

“I might have other plans afterwards, ever think of that?” she replied smartly, flipping her ponytail and sitting beside him, setting her laser gun aside. “Now, you want to know about Link and Zelda?”

“Y-yeah, kind of,” Cloud said, hands laced together in his lap. “I know they’re from the same world, and they just...there’s something there, and I can’t put my finger on it. If he didn’t want to tell me, then fine, but I think he wants me to know.”

“You’re not jealous of her, are you?” Samus asked, crossing her legs. “If that’s the case, then you’ve got _other_ issues to deal with, and--”

“No,” he interrupted. “I know he…” _Loves me._ Cloud bit his lip. _Ah, but do you? Is it that deep?_

_(“Love.”)_

Samus kept an eye on him as he stewed, an eyebrow raised. “I-I’m not jealous of her, that’s all,” he finished lamely, feeling heat on his face.

“Mmhmm.” She licked her lips and let his explanation slide. “Well, the best way to tell this is to start from the beginning.” She shook her head. “Still don’t know why Link sent you to me, specifically. I’m not a great storyteller.” Samus glanced up at the glass ceiling, the sun just past its peak. “But...I’m flattered in a way.

“You probably already know this, but Link and I were some of the first fighters ever brought to this place, along with Mario and the rest. We were all pretty green at the time--some of us adjusting better than others. I hid in my suit most days once I figured out I was the only woman in the group…” She waved her hand. “That’s another story.

“Link was my first consistent fighting partner. He and I trained for a solid amount of time, until we could read each other so well, that neither of us could knock the other out. He was the first person who saw beneath my mask.” She made a point to look right at Cloud. “And he wasn’t a dick about it. Link’s always been very honest and kind. And quiet. Even then, he didn’t talk, and he wasn’t good at communicating with the rest of us. Mario made him carry around a notepad because of it.” She shrugged. “Probably will never know if there’s a reason behind it. Maybe there isn’t.

“Anyway, the point is that we were close by the time the second wave of fighters came along.”

“Second wave?” Cloud asked.

“Yup,” she said. “There have been four so far, not including oddballs like you, just dropping in out of nowhere. I’m talking big groups of fighters. The second wave doubled our original group, from twelve to twenty-four.” Her head rolled to one shoulder, blonde hair spilling down along with it. “And that’s where this all started.”


	2. Phase 1

“Link?”

His dorm room was open, and Link looked up from his arrows to address the voice. “We’re-a having a meeting,” Mario said, in his standard red and overalls. “There are new-a challengers coming in today.”

Link perked up, setting his arrows aside and rising from the desk. “Everyone’s in the foyer, come-a down when you’re ready.”

“Mm,” Link affirmed, bobbing his head twice to nod. _New challengers, huh?_ he thought, patting himself down. _I guess all of us have gotten pretty good at fighting each other. Samus and I know all of each other’s moves like the back of our hands._ He noticed an empty spot at his left breast. _Oh yeah, I should get my notebook._ It was small, settled on his desk with a green pen tucked into the binding. He slipped it inside his tunic and headed out, a spring in his step.

_I wonder if there will be anyone I know?_

The foyer was cleared out, save for rows of chairs, where everyone was gathered. He opted for the middle row, in an empty seat beside Samus. “Hey, you,” she greeted. She was in her mech suit, but had her helmet off for once, showing off her blonde hair and deep blue eyes. “Excited for the new crowd?”

He nodded, enthusiastic and grinning. He pointed to her, then out to the open floor where Mario was, next to a portal door. “Who’s coming? I don’t know,” Samus said.

 _Not what I was asking._ He shook his head, then counted on his fingers, left picking the digits from his right. “Oh, how _many._ I think...twelve? Coming in? I’m not sure about that either.” She leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. “We’ll see.”

Link nodded slowly, his attention refocused up front, shoulders sinking. _She gets that annoyed tone when I don’t talk, sometimes. Not as often as she used to. But, just when she misunderstands me, it tends to be there._ His fingers itched in his gloves. _I just...would rather not talk. I don’t remember_

_(...)_

_why anymore, but...does it matter?_ He reached for the notebook inside his pocket and laid it on his lap, ready for the next time. _I’ll have to find a better way than this, someday._

“Okay, everyone!” Mario announced. Link found that he regretted his seating choice, as he was right behind Captain Falcon, tall enough to block his view unless he craned his neck. “Let’s give a warm welcome to the new members of our lineup.” The portal door glimmered, as two silhouettes stepped out. “First, Princess Peach and Bowser.”

Peach, clad in her brilliant pink attire, curtseyed as she exited, stopping to give Mario a kiss on the cheek. There was polite applause, but as soon as Bowser--tall, spiked and menacing--stepped out, a wail could be heard from Luigi in front of them. Bowser only grunted in acknowledgement before stomping off beside Peach, looking nonplussed about the whole ordeal.

As Mario rushed over to comfort his brother, Samus leaned to Link. “What was that about?” she muttered. “Haven’t seen him do that in a while.”

Link furrowed his brow, then scribbled on his notebook. His handwriting was long and thin, making a sentence fit per page on the small paper. _“Maybe he’s an enemy in their world,”_ it read.

“Maybe,” Samus concurred, sitting back up.

Mario had returned to the podium. “Let’s see...we have some new Pokemon! Pichu and Mewtwo.”

Pichu was oddly similar to Pikachu, except smaller and much more energetic, bouncing from the portal door like a bolt of electricity. It jumped about until it nuzzled right next to Pikachu, showering blue static sparks all over the floor. Link chuckled as Pikachu protested, pushing the newcomer out of its chair so it could join the others.

Mewtwo, on the other hand, glided out stoic and cross, surveying the group with its menacing, purple eyes. As it blinked, a resounding echo flooded Link’s head: _“AN ODD GROUP. I APPRECIATE THE WELCOME.”_

“Ow--!” Samus winced, holding her head. “D-did you hear that?”

Link nodded as his own headache subsided. _Must have been some kind of...psychic power. That was terribly strong, he will definitely be a tough adversary--_

“Falco!”

A blue bird clad in space gear had emerged from the portal, and Fox was already on his feet to greet him. “Old bird, how’ve you been!” he exclaimed, bringing him into a quick hug. “I’ve missed you, pal!”

“Fox…?” Falco said, confusion riddling his face from the tips of his wings to his beak. “Where the hell is this place? I got the invite, but--”

“You’re going to love it!” he interrupted, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “Here, let me show you around…”

Fox dragged Falco away further into the foyer, and Samus shook her head. “Would you look at that,” she sighed. “Maybe there’s a little hope for us, too.”

Link nodded, his attention torn between her and two swordsmen stepping out. One was tall, clad in blue armor with hair to match it, his face smooth and regal. His companion, on the other hand, was stocky and a firey mess of reddish hair, his arm around the other’s shoulder and waving to the crowd. “Greetings, fellow fighters!” he shouted. “The Hero King and I have come to _kick some ass!”_

“Roy, please,” the “Hero King” sighed, his melodic tenor a stark contrast to Roy’s over-enthusiastic shout. “As a Lord, you ought to--”

“Oh, lord-shmord,” he scoffed, smacking him hard on the back. “Jeez, I didn’t know the great Marth would be such a putz.” He bowed to the rest of the group before hustling immediately to where the rest of the new fighters sat, taking a seat next to Peach.

Marth clicked his tongue and swept his bangs out of his face. “If you will excuse us,” he said, before hurrying after him in a vain attempt to prevent further disaster.

 _Those two must be from a completely different world,_ Link thought, biting his lip in amusement. A pair of children in bulky fur parkas waddled from the portal, simply waving without fanfare. _It’ll be good to train with other sword fighters. If I had to guess, “Marth” is probably conservative, while “Roy” seems like a wildcard…_

“And last, but not least...Ganondorf--”

Link’s head shot up, eyes wide. _What?!_

He could feel his presence before he could fully register the foreboding figure standing in the portal door. The white light filtered all around him, from the top of his orange hair to the soles of his heavy boots. Covered in armor, eyes gleaming--no, _leering_ right at Link. _You...you…_

_I remember you._

_(the air was so thick and overcast when you took the castle, you held her by the neck and you taunted me, you taunted me)_

He grit his teeth, reaching for his sword at his side. _I won’t...I won’t let you corrupt this place--!_

Link shot up from his seat, the sword making a distinct _shing!_ sound as it was free from its sheath. Everyone turned to look at him as he growled, the grip so hard on the hilt that it shook in his hand. “Hey, hey!” Samus exclaimed, grabbing him by his shield arm. “Take it easy--”

He shoved her back, even as she tried to grab the back of his shirt, and Ganondorf snickered, pacing behind Mario at the podium. “You--!” Link huffed, struggling against Samus.

In front of him, Luigi leaned against the back of his seat, fingers tapping. “Er, Link…” he stammered, voice nasally and high. “It’s...not as bad as you think it is. He can’t cause any harm here, like Bowser.”

Breathing through his teeth, Link slowly lowered his sword, eyes still full of fire. “Th-that’s what...Mario told me...anyway…” he followed up, tapping his fingers together. “B-but it seems right…”

“He has a point,” Link heard Samus say as he glared at Ganondorf, his hands laced behind his back, feigning neutrality. “If you have a beef with him, just fight him on Battlefield...it’s no use trying to start something here.”

 _Maybe,_ he thought, slipping his sword back onto his belt. _I still...don’t trust him. I can’t trust him, even here._

_(maybe there’s some hero left in you after all)_

He shook his head, blinking the thought away.

“And last, but certainly not least...Princess Zelda.”

_Zelda?_

The portal door shimmered white one last time, then faded in the wake of the woman emerging from it. Her light brown hair, sheathes tied in white ribbons, flowed over her shoulders, squared off and aligned straight with the rest of her slender body. Her face was stern, blue eyes piercing, but there was no mistaking her. Right through her attire, the Triforce on her dress, Link could feel it deep in his chest.

_Zelda._

She scanned the room briefly, almost about to turn on her heel toward where the rest of the new fighters were, but her eyes fixated on Link, widening very slightly. _It’s her,_ he thought, beginning to smile, his feet moving without even realizing it. _Princess Zelda._

_(“I’ll always be your Zelda.”)_

He swallowed hard as his body seemed to float toward her, heart beating fast and hard inside his chest. _Her hair is different, the way she holds herself is different_

_(...)_

_I think, but it’s her. It’s Zelda._ A giggle bubbled in the back of his throat, and he struggled to keep it down, to swallow it until it disintegrated into butterflies in the pit of his stomach. As he approached her, her lip twitched, quivered in his wake. “...Link?” she said.

A rush flooded through him, from the tip of his head all the way to the soles of his boots. _It’s you, it’s really you! Zelda, Zelda!_ Link’s head buzzed with his own voice, thoughts louder than the room around him. In front of him, Zelda raised her hand to him, emblazoned with the Triforce. His grin fully embraced his face, and he shook his head. _No, more than that…_

Link opened his arms and embraced her, but not too tightly as to constrict her. She was stiff in his arms for a moment, but soon relaxed, her fingers loose at his waist. He leaned into her ear. “Welcome, Zelda,” he whispered, his excitement palpable in the hiss of his consonants.

He let her go, running his hands down her arms, noting the faint tinge of pink in her cheeks, her wide eyes, and the way she held her arms as soon as he withdrew completely. “Th...thank you,” she said with a small nod.

 _Ah. Was that...too much?_ Anxiety gnawed the back of his brain, and he quickly looked behind him. While many of fighters had left to mill around the foyer, making small talk with the newcomers, the ones who were still sitting were fixated on the two. “Eh…” Link uttered, focusing back on her. _Sorry…! I didn’t mean to startle you._ He patted her shoulder and bowed his head, his other hand fidgeting at the edge of his tunic.

Zelda studied him for a moment, eyes flickering over his form. “It’s...fine,” she replied finally. “It must have been a while since you’ve seen me, I assume?”

Link blinked. _She...can understand me?_ He nodded enthusiastically, and she smirked in amusement. _Of course she can. She’s...she’s Zelda._ He found himself gazing at her face, memorizing every detail--the strong lines of her cheekbones, her pointed nose, where her hairline met her forehead, and the soft, pale shape of her lips. _She’s beautiful._

“Link? Is there a Link around here?”

Roy’s abrasive shout cleared his haze, and he whipped around to see the sword fighter spinning about on his heels. When he finally settled on him, his frustrated face cleared. “Hey, man! Green with the pointy ears and hat, that’s gotta be you!” He rushed up to him and jabbed his shoulder, nearly sending Link off balance. “That guy Mario said we’re going to be roommates! You’re in 305, right?”

 _Roommates? Mario never mentioned anything about that._ Nonetheless, Link nodded, giving a thumbs up as he did so.

“Awesome!” Roy exclaimed. “I kinda wanted to be with ol’ Marth, but apparently they wanna mix things up a bit. Guess it’s not so bad.”

Link tilted his head back and forth against his shoulders with a shrug. _At least Ganondorf won’t be my roommate._ Roy stared at Link, waiting expectantly for a more verbose response. _This...might be fun. It’s been kind of lonely here._

“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” Roy said, squinting and poking his cheek. Link scrunched his face and swatted him away, provoking a small, but still audible chuckle from Zelda. “I saw you chatting to this lady here, I know you can do it--!”

Link bit the inside of his cheek, then fished for his notebook, writing as quickly as possible: _“I don’t want to.”_

“What?! Come on, bro!” Roy groaned, stomping his foot. “You saving up for something, or what? I ain’t gonna bite you! Come on, say something! Say...‘apple’!”

Link snorted, but shook his head.

“‘Apple’? _Please?”_

Link glanced over at Zelda, watching the scene unfold with her hand over her mouth and amusement dancing in her eyes. _She’s watching. I guess a little something won’t hurt._

He sighed through his nose, then stepped right up to Roy, pushing up on his toes to reach his ear. “Wh-what are you doing?” he squawked.

“Apple,” Link muttered into his ear.

Roy immediately jumped back, rubbing the ear that he spoke into. _“Yeesh,_ you do that _every_ time?” he floundered, viciously ruffling his own hair until it was a fluffy, red mess. Link couldn’t help but snicker, pointing to him and making a mouth with his hand. _You asked._

“Yeah, yeah,” he scoffed, flapping his hand at him. “Let’s just see how you do out in the field, _roomie.”_

He said the word as if it had enormous quotations around it, crossing his arms. _You’re something,_ Link thought, chuckling. _But, this should be fun. A new sparring partner._

“Look at you, making new friends,” Samus remarked, walking right past Link and up to Zelda. “Princess Zelda?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered, suddenly at attention.

“Looks like you and I are going to be rooming together,” Samus said with a smirk. Arms crossed, she gave Link a quick look with a raised eyebrow. “I can give you a break from Starry-Eyed over here and show you around.”

“Oh…!” Zelda said, shaking her head. “He isn’t a problem…”

“Hey, why aren’t you offering to show _me_ around?” Roy complained, elbowing Link’s side. “Come on, give me the tour, you’re a vet here!”

 _All right, all right._ His shoulders slumped a bit, but he beamed at Zelda and waved as he walked backwards to leave. However, his feet crossed over behind him, causing him to trip and stumble back a bit. _Very smooth, Link._ His grin instantly lost its confidence, turning sheepish.

“I’ll be seeing you, Link,” Zelda said, bowing her head, this time a true smile gracing her lips, reaching her cheeks.

Link skipped before spinning around, catching up with Roy who had gotten a few paces ahead of him. _Her smile is so sweet, even if a bit reserved._ Lightness spread through his body, and each step he took bounced, like walking on clouds. _Still...she’s probably still shocked from being sent here._

_(“Welcome to the Smash house, Link!”_

_Jaw clenched, eyes darting, he didn’t say a word, only nodding to Mario in response.)_

_I know I was._

_(“Y-you don’t have to push yourself so hard,” Luigi advised as Link huffed in front of him, steaming with damage._

_“Heeyah!” Link growled, slashing hard enough forward to nearly lift his feet off the ground--but despite the powerful blow, Luigi dodged it easily._ If I don’t fight this hard, _he thought,_

how will I survive?)

“So, you’ve got the hots for that princess, huh?” Roy said, hands laced behind his head with his elbows up. “She seems like a hard nut to crack. All quiet and stern and all that. Good luck to you, man, that’s all I’ve gotta say.”

Link smiled to himself, then turned it over to Roy with another thumbs up. _Thanks._

Roy returned it with a sunny look, full of teeth. “Don’t mention it,” he replied. “Anyway, this was a fighting place right? Where are the arenas?”

Link gestured over down the far hallway, where a portal door was already shining. _I wonder if I can make her smile like Roy does,_ he thought. _I’ll keep working at it._

* * *

 

In Samus’ room, Zelda sat quietly on her bed on the opposite side of the room, hands folded in her lap. “So, you know Link?” Samus asked, taking off her armor one piece at a time.

She hesitated before responding. “Well...yes,” she said slowly, twisting her hands in her lap. “I do know him. But…”

She trailed off, causing Samus to pause before taking off her chest piece. “But…?”

Zelda huffed, choosing to stare out the window instead of her. “It...feels different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t...know.” She got up and began to pace, a hand lightly cupping her chin. “I feel like I’m supposed to know _him,_ I’ve _met_ Link in my world, and it’s…” She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s probably nothing.”

Samus stretched, untying her long, blonde hair from its ponytail. “Memories do strange things around this place,” she mentioned. She lifted the pieces of her armor and began to reassemble them into a shell at the foot of her bed. “Some things you remember, some you don’t. It’s hard.”

Zelda bit her lip, absently watching her kneel at the edge of the bed, clicking pieces and twisting screws. _There’s a brightness in his eyes that seems different,_ she thought. _It lacks something._

_(...wolf in twilight…)_

_But, there’s something else there as well. Perhaps...it won’t do any good to dwell on it._

“Link’s a good guy,” Samus said, patting the helmet on the head before approaching Zelda, a hand on her shoulder. “He’s a really talented swordfighter, even if he doesn’t say a lot. I’d consider yourself lucky.”

She blinked. “Why?”

“Link doesn’t talk.” Her head tilted, and she made a point to stare directly at her to emphasize her point. _“Ever._ I think he’s spoken more today than he ever has.” Her teeth clicked together. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But, he seems to be comfortable enough to share that with you.”

_(He held the notebook up. “I don’t want to.”)_

“I...see.” _Of all the people, you choose to lend your voice to someone you’ve only just met?_

_But, we haven’t “just met”, have we?_

_(...)_

_Have we…_

“Well, I’m going to go shower,” Samus said, a little louder to break the mood. “Living in a suit like that all the time will make you sweat, and it doesn’t aerate well. I’ll give you the tour once I’m fresh.”

Samus left without ceremony, disappearing behind the door and leaving Zelda to stew in her own thoughts. _Link._

_(“Welcome, Zelda.”)_

She slipped off the glove on her right hand, revealing a Triforce in gold, and she delicately tapped between the triangles. _We shall see._


	3. Phase 2

“So, as you can see, things got off to kind of a shaky start,” Samus said, recrossing her legs. “I think Zelda and Link came from different points in time, even though they’re from the same ‘world’.”

“Yeah, I figured that,” Cloud muttered, staring at the floor.  _ He did...really like Zelda,  _ he thought. “Doesn’t seem to bother them now.”

Samus sighed long and loud. “Well, it was a long time coming.” She paused for a moment, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Oh, and Ganondorf was different than both of them, too. In fact, there was one time, not too long after that wave came through…”

* * *

 

The timer above Battlefield was at thirty seconds, and Link needed to make a move. “Come on, bro! Give it to me!” Roy taunted, slamming his blade against the ground. He was smoking with damage--all it would take would be one solid attack to send him flying. 

Link rose to his feet, wiping the trickle of blood from his lower lip.  _ I’m not in great shape either, though. The best I can do is to take it to sudden death.  _

_ “RrraAAH!”  _ Roy howled, charging with his sword showering sparks against the stone ground. When he pulled it up, it was flaming, and he thrusted it directly at his chest. Link was quick with his shield, blocking the direct blow, but the knockback still skidded him backwards, right to the edge of the stage. He drew out his arrows and fired three right in a row, keeping Roy at a distance.  _ That’s the only way I can do this,  _ he thought as Roy struggled to rush him still, panting and grunting.  _ But, do I have the time to do it?  _

_ There’s only fifteen seconds… _

He plucked a bomb from under his tunic and rolled it at him, readying his boomerang at the same time. The instant the bomb exploded at Roy’s feet, he aimed the boomerang just above his head and flung it.  _ Ten, nine, eight.  _ Roy ducked below the first pass, but the second one brushed at his back, pulling him back toward Link with a gust of wind.  _ Six, five, four… _

He swung his sword behind him, calculating the moments in the rush of the wind, right until Roy was within sword’s length,  _ three, two…! _

_ SLASH!  _

The force behind it was immense, and Roy went sky rocketing across the stage, but his speed wasn’t quite enough, somehow not enough to send him off stage in--

_ “TIME!”  _

A flash of light, and the two challengers were back in the lobby, both doubled over and panting. “Whew!” Roy said, staring up at the monitor. It blinked a picture of Roy with the words “WINNER” in gold. “That was good, though. Few more seconds, and you would’ve had me.”

The heat of damage had dissipated, and Link nodded.  _ He’s gotten strong already. It hasn’t taken him long to get the hang of things.  _ He pulled out his sword to make a motion with it--posing it backwards compared to his normal grip, holding it more like a double handed shield.

“Hm? Oh yeah, that’s a counter,” he said, holding his own sword out and making the same pose. “It caught you a couple times. Makes it easier to push attacks back. You should try it!”

Link shook his head, waving his hand to head out the door.  _ I have a shield, I can’t do much double handed sword work like that.  _ They walked from the hallway back into the foyer, where the cafeteria and living area were buzzing with activity.  _ That’s where he has the edge on me.  _

_ Still, once you can get a couple hits on him, he isn’t difficult to thwart… _

“Man, I’m starving,” Roy remarked, sniffing the air. “What’s good in the kitchen? I could go for a chunk of lamb.”

_ Lamb at lunch?  _ Link snickered.  _ Then again, I usually eat as much as I can whenever I can, so I don’t know if I’m one to talk.  _ He gestured to the cafeteria line, then made a square shape with his fingers, palm down and raising up from it to indicate height, then he patted his stomach. “It’s all good? And you...can...have as much as you want?” Roy clarified. 

_ Close enough.  _ Link nodded. 

“Sweet.” Roy bounced on his toes and clapped him on the back. “I’m gonna get right on that, I’m starved.”

He ran over to the line, which was already starting to build up, while Link stretched, scanning the seats.  _ I should go eat too--oh! _

_ Zelda!  _

She was sitting across from Samus, her tray sparse, and a shiver ran through him when he met her eyes. He immediately beelined for her, sitting right at her side and waving. “O-oh, hello, Link,” she greeted, nodding before returning her attention back down to her tray.

“Hey,” Samus said, despite his fixation on the princess. Her helmet sat neatly beside her tray--otherwise, she was still in full armor. “That last battle you had was pretty close.”

He jerked over to her, head tilted.  _ Wait, you saw that?  _

“They’ve just set up some more TVs in the foyer,” she explained, chewing on an energy bar. “You can see a bunch of battles going on now. Pretty cool.”

He nodded slowly, then poked Zelda--he pointed to his eyes, then made a mock swinging motion with an imaginary sword in his hands. “Er, I wasn’t watching,” she said. “I just got back from a fight myself…”

Link grinned, and mouthed with a shrug:  _ “Who?”  _

“Oh, um…” She pursed her lips in thought. “Another one of the newcomers. The flat looking one...Mr. Game & Watch, I believe is what Mario referred to him as.”

_ Game & Watch, huh?  _ Link tapped a finger against his chin. He pointed to himself, then slashed a finger across his throat and pointed to his eyes.  _ I haven’t seen him yet.  _

“I’m sure you will see him soon,” Zelda said. Her shoulders were finally beginning to relax, and even though the tips of her pointed ears were still red, her voice was cool and collected. “I heard there will be a test to fight everyone here sequentially--”

“Oh yeah, All-Star,” Samus interrupted. She shot Link a look, and it took him a moment to realize he had a dazed smile fixed on his face. He ran a hand over his face to wipe it off, and scooted a half an inch away from her. “It’ll be more fun with more people. Don’t worry, you’ll get some breaks--”

_ “What is the meaning of this?!”  _

The rumbling shout echoed throughout the dining area, and Link was immediately on alert, standing up so fast he jostled the table.  _ That voice…!  _

“What the hell--” Samus muttered. Her elbow was up, and it had manifested itself into its gun form, although after assessing the situation, it collapsed back into her hand. “Who’s starting trouble now?”

“Th-that sounded like…” Zelda started, then glanced at Link.

He nodded.  _ Ganondorf.  _

The commotion was coming from just outside the hallway where the trophy rooms were, and Link rushed quickly through the foyer to find it. There, Ganondorf towered over Mario, his yellow eyes glowing down at the plumber, teeth bared. “I am not  _ sure  _ if you  _ understand,”  _ he growled at him. “I have the Triforce of  _ Power,  _ there is absolutely no need for me to run something as mundane as a  _ library!”  _

“There’s-a nothing I can do about it,” Mario replied, mustache twitching. “The order’s come from-a Master Hand--”

“Never mind  _ that,”  _ he said, crossing his arms. “I won’t do it.” As he turned his head away, he caught Link in the corner of his eye, and snickered. “Well, well. The Hero arrives.”

Link ground his teeth inside his mouth, hand hovering above the hilt of his sword.  _ You’re only here to cause trouble,  _ he thought as Ganondorf turned fully to him. He was easily four heads taller than he was, a hulking, dark figure whose lined face was covered in condescension. “I wonder if you’d like to weigh in on the subject,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Tch…”  _ I don’t have anything to say to you… _

“Hm. I wonder,” Ganondorf mused. “Are you silent out of defiance, or out of fear?”

“Ganon,” Mario said behind him, a sharpness behind it.

“It is an honest question.” His hand lashed out and grabbed Link by the throat, holding him up in the air as he struggled.  _ I can’t breathe--!  _ A strange, purple aura surrounded his fist, and the pressure pulsed not just around his neck, but his temples as well. “I cannot imagine one who holds the Triforce of  _ courage  _ to be  _ afraid.”  _ He chuckled low and deep, squeezing harder around his neck.

_ “Ganon!”  _ Mario barked, but another voice accompanied it

“Let him go!” 

His eyes flicked past him, and Ganondorf unceremoniously dropped him to the ground, leaving Link sputtering and coughing on his knees. “Hello, Princess,” he said. “I do say, wisdom does seem to fit the theme of a librarian, don’t you think so, Mario?”

“The decision is-a _final,”_ Mario said, pointing behind him.  _ I’ve never heard him sound like that before,  _ Link thought as Zelda helped to pull him back on his feet.  _ With so much...venom.  _ Behind him, he felt a delicate hand on his back, and took solace in it. 

Ganondorf, in the meantime, made sure to glance at all three of them with burning glares before turning on his heel and disappearing into the nearest open door, slamming it as he went. Mario kept his eye on him, taking off his hat to scratch his hair and putting it back on quickly. “Don’t-a worry about him,” he said, addressing Link and Zelda. 

“Are you  _ sure?”  _ Zelda asked, moving in front of Link. “Ganon is truly not to be trusted--”

“He will learn,” he interrupted with a sigh, “that outside of his world, the same conflicts don’t exist. As someone who has worked together with-a someone I considered my most-a powerful enemy…” He trailed off, nodding. “I can-a understand.”

_ Mario…  _ Link tilted his head, studying the stout plumber in front of him.  _ I think we all knew that...this wasn’t the first time that Mario had been taken from his home world. When we all got here, he was the one who took charge, and he’s still the only one who’s spoken face to face with Master Hand. Or, hand to hand.  _

_ Even Luigi and Yoshi, those who were familiar with him already, felt out of place and disoriented. _

_ But, not Mario.  _

“How are-a you adjusting, Princess?” Mario asked, his disposition lightening considerably. 

“Oh, you may call me Zelda,” she said. “And...I’m doing well, I think. I’m starting to meet new people and make new friends so…” Zelda’s eyes wandered to meet Link’s, and his heart fluttered briefly into his throat. “That’s good.”

“Excellent!” he chirped, pulling out a clipboard from behind him. “If you’ll excuse-a me, I need to talk to some-a other challengers…” 

Link waved to him as he left, and he replied with a cheery wave of his own before scuttling out into the foyer. With Mario gone, Zelda held both her elbows in each hand, and worry clouded her brow. “Do you think he’s right?” she asked. 

He drew closer and leaned into her ear, cupping his hands around it. “Yeah,” he said. “He...knows about this sort of thing. More than all of us.”

“Mmm.” She did not appear convinced, gloved fingers pressed into her arms, small indents into her pale skin. As he watched her hands, he briefly imagined brushing his own fingers against hers, even if only to comfort. 

He chose not to.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered again. “If something happens...I’ll protect you.”

He withdrew his hands from around her ear, staring at her, directly into her eyes.  _ I mean it,  _ he thought as she tried to return the intensity, only to look down with a small nod.  _ I will.  _

“I...appreciate it,” she replied, with a thin smile. “Thank you.”

Her gratitude echoed in his ears, and he couldn’t stop a shy smile from sneaking onto his face. Surprisingly, she returned it, even with a small giggle.  _ It’s like music to my ears.  _


	4. Phase 3

“Ganondorf tried to choke him in the lobby?” Cloud exclaimed, eyes wide. “When I last saw him, he seemed--”

“He’s chilled out a bit now,” Samus replied. “After hearing what Mario said, it makes a little more sense. I think he realized it too.” 

She sat back in silence, leaving Cloud to his own thoughts.  _ She knows so much about this,  _ he thought.  _ I guess if her and Zelda are roommates, and she was pretty close to Link too, she might’ve gotten two sides of the same story.  _ The sun was starting to set, washing the observatory with pinkish orange light.  _ This still isn’t over yet.  _ “So...then what?” he asked.

“Oh, right,” she said, flexing her hand. “Things went...okay, for a while. You know, drills, fights, and so on. They were eating breakfast together every morning soon enough, and he would explore with her around the mansion.” Her speech had slowed considerably, and she glanced over to Cloud, stern and serious. “Are you sure you still want to hear about this?”

_ “Yes, _ I already said,” he insisted, scowling. 

“Just making sure,” she said, holding her hands out. “Afraid it’s all downhill from here, that’s all.”

“That’s...reassuring.” Cloud shifted in his seat.  _ Link… _

“I’m just telling the truth. To be fair, that day started out nice enough.” She pulled on the back of her ponytail for a moment, before taking a deep breath to continue. “Zelda mentioned that she was going to meet up with Link that day…”

* * *

 

“Oh?” Samus asked, shining the left arm of her armor with a cloth and wax. “What are you guys planning on doing?”

“I am not sure,” she replied, twirling a lock of her hair in her fingers. Oddly enough, her cheeks were faintly pink, making her whole face glow. “He mentioned a garden that he wanted to show me…”

“Ooh, the gardens,” she said, spinning in her chair and grinning. “So, is this a date, now?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t call it that--!” 

She chuckled. “Uh-huh. It is a pretty romantic spot, though.” Samus tapped her fingers together. “You’ve warmed up to him, huh?”

“I...yes,” she replied shyly. “I suppose you could say that.”

“Good. I’m glad,” she said, returning to shine her gun. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but the two of you seem to be a good fit for each other.”

Her smile, still present on her face, faded slightly. “Do you think so…?” 

“Yeah. If that’s what you want, then I think so.”

“What I want…” Her head tilted to the ground, in thought, then she shook it, smoothing her dress and tucking a flyaway behind her ear. “Mm. I will be seeing you, then.”

“Have fun,” Samus replied with a one handed wave, back at her desk. She waited until the door latch before pausing to look back, arm around the back of her chair.  _ That wasn’t the most reassuring response in the world,  _ she thought, staring at her helmet.  _ Wonder if I should be a fly on the wall, in case anything goes wrong.  _

She sighed, then shook her head.  _ Nah, they don’t need it. They can handle themselves.  _

* * *

 

When Zelda arrived in the foyer, Link was waiting for her on one of the far couches. He was in his typical green attire, but with an added, red scarf around his neck. Or, was it a cape? She couldn’t be sure, but something about it

_ (the ancient hero…) _

stirred her chest. He waved and rushed up to her, taking both of her hands in his as greeting. “Hi!” he whispered, quiet but excited. 

She couldn’t help but giggle. “You’re enthusiastic today,” Zelda remarked, her fingers cold against his warm palms. She withdrew only to run a finger down the red cape he wore. “This is new.”

He pulled her closer just to whisper in her ear, as he had grown accustomed to doing. “It was with my things this morning. I wanted to show you.”

_ Wanted to show me. Of course.  _ He jerked his head in a motion for her to follow him, tugging at the hand he still held.  _ He always wants to show me something, it seems.  _

_ He would show me the world, if he could… _

Link led her through the foyer, in through a door she swore she had never seen before, hidden in the corner behind an enormous, potted plant. It led to a small corridor, dark and dingy, before another door at the opposite end. “Ready?” he said, throwing the door open. 

She had to shield her eyes from the sunlight, bright blue straining her eyes, and by the time she could lower her arm from her face, Link had strayed from her hand, skipping into the grass in front of them.  _ This is...the garden.  _

The lush greenery opened up into a pathway, with arches every several feet. Each of them were wrapped in vines and flowers--from deep purple morning glories to tiny, white blossoms. Bushes full of roses of every color imaginable decorated the edges of the path, ranging from deep red, to peach sunbursts and pale white petals. Further down, the path opened up to a fountain, surrounded by lily of the valley, and a small stone bench was planted in front of it, ivy covered at its feet. The smell of grass and the gentle fragrance of flowers filled her nose, and the warmth of the sun was easy on her face and chest. “How beautiful--!” she marveled. 

Link was embracing the sunshine as well, stretching his arms up high and standing on his toes, as if trying to hug the sky. As soon as he realized Zelda was watching, he stopped, giggling, and guided her over to the bench by her waist. “It is, isn’t it?” he whispered as she sat down. He paused for a moment, shuffling his feet and tucking his hands behind his back. “N-not as...beautiful as you.”

His eyes couldn’t decide whether to focus on her or the grass at his feet, hips weaving in his bashfulness. “L-Link…” Zelda smoothed her dress, even though it didn’t need it, her face blooming pink like the bushel of roses beside her. As hard as she tried to keep composed, it was still noticeable, enough for Link to chuckle. When she looked up at him again, he had a different air about him, more confident

_ (pale blonde hair, an older face, but that same outfit, with the cape as well) _

than his shy flirting suggested.  _ A-ah… _

He sat beside her, pulling out a small, blue ocarina, turning it over in his hands. “This is one of my favorite places to be,” he said, looking out beyond the garden. It was set on a cliff with a white picket fence around it, and below was an endless abyss of sky and clouds, as far as the eye could see. “You’ll never guess who maintains it.”

Link’s soft tone was lulling, and Zelda found herself leaning into his shoulder on the small bench. “Who? It can’t be Mario…”

He shook his head. “Captain Falcon.”

Her eyes widened. “What? Really?”

“Yeah,” Link snickered. “He’s pretty adamant about keeping it neat, too.”

“He does a lovely job.” Her hands felt clammy underneath her gloves, and even though Link appeared relaxed, his breathing was more pronounced than usual.  _ I can see why this would be considered a “romantic spot”.  _ Her eyes wandered down one of the paths that led up a hill to a gazebo--even from their current distance, she could see the traces of white roses all along its roof.  _ Was that...what he had in mind?  _

_ Link.  _

He let out a shaky sigh, then held up the ocarina. “You’ve heard this before, haven’t you?” he asked, fingers working their way onto the holes. “I played it for you long ago.”

_ Long ago.  _ She scanned her mind for traces of the round instrument, but ultimately found nothing.  _ Maybe...for you.  _

He brought it to his lips, and after a moment’s hesitation, he began to play a tune:

It was longing and lilting, the plaintive tremor of the ocarina floating in the breeze, right into her ears.  _ That melody…!  _ It was simultaneously familiar and foreign all at the same time, a _déja vu_ that seeped into her very soul,

_ (Link the child, his face so round, hair fine, and the hero’s clothes too big for him...) _

_ (Link the adult, suddenly so tall and sure, blue eyes huge and the same color of the ocarina he held out to her...) _

_ (Link the wolf, fur gray and coarse and so huge, even for a beast, until the twilight released him into his true form, his hair sharing the shagginess and his eyes the fierceness…) _

that shivered her to the bone.  _ These memories… _

_ (“Wake up, sleepyhead!”) _

_...memories I didn’t even know I had… _

_ (“I’ll always be your Zelda.”) _

_...all flooding back, just at the sound of a song.  _

His eyes had fluttered shut in the midst of his playing, and any tremor that was in his hands had melted away, his sound smooth and fluid.  _ I know you, I’ve known you,  _ Zelda thought, utterly mesmerized.  _ We’ve been together like this before, haven’t we? Time and time again… _

_ Is this what fate is?  _

Link looked up from his playing and met her eyes.  _ Deep blue, they’re always such a deep, beautiful blue.  _ Zelda’s heart stuttered in her chest.  _ What’s...come over me? Is this just because of a song? Or is it something more?  _

_ (didn’t you just meet?) _

_ No… _

He gradually lowered the ocarina back into his lap, and reached out to her, tracing her forehead with his thumb, running it all the way down to her cheek. Goosebumps prickled on the back of her neck, despite the warmth of the day, despite the warmth of his gaze upon her.  _ Link. You’re the hero, right? Chosen by the gods… _

_ (if you asked, would he answer?) _

_ (would he remember?) _

“Princess,” Link murmured, so close to her that she could feel a tiny breath from his nose. “No, Zelda…”

Her hand rested on his thigh in order to move closer, and after that, it was only a short distance to his lips, which she met with little hesitation.  _ They’re dry. And chapped. But warm. Warm. Just like him.  _ She couldn’t tell if her heart was beating so hard that she couldn’t feel it, or if it had stopped completely.  _ Have I kissed you like this before? _

_ Or is this something new?  _

It was he that broke the kiss, taking one hand in both of his and stroking his thumb against the top of her gloves. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but the words were caught in his throat, caged and voiceless. “Y-you don’t...it’s all right,” Zelda tried, her own voice trembling from sheer nervous energy. “You don’t need to say anything.”  _ I know. _

_ (I think) _

He nodded, then drew close to her ear. “We shouldn’t stay,” he whispered, then nodded deep to the full length window across the garden. It was shaded by bushes and vines, but it still provided a clear view to the bench and the fountain.  _ Ah. It seems this isn’t as private as I thought.  _

“Right.” Zelda attempted to pull away, but Link kept her close.

“Meet me in the foyer at midnight,” he said. 

Adrenaline spiked through her, like his consonants pulsing in her ear. “Okay,” she replied, swallowing, even as her mouth was dry.

He squeezed her hand, drawing her eyes to his, and his gaze was laced with concern as he studied her face.  _ “Is that okay?”  _ he seemed to be asking with his eyes. “I will be there,” she affirmed, and kissed his cheek for good measure. The impulse made her feel even more light headed, her toes curling inside her shoes. It made him smile, as sunny as the day was.  _ Link.  _

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it before standing up, stretching. “I still have drills today,” he said. “But...I’ll see you later, 

Zelda.”

Link nearly sang her name as it passed his tongue, and waved before leaving her, mind spinning and alone in the garden.  _ This is...the point of no return,  _ she thought, raising her hand to her mouth.  _ This is...what I’ve started.  _

* * *

 

Roy was kicked back on the bed when Link returned to his dorm. “Hey, you,” Roy said, bouncing up. “I wanted to ask you about something--”

Link’s head shot up and he waved his hand in front of his face, pointing to himself and holding up two fingers. “You too, huh?” he replied, cocking his head. “All right, you first. What’s the scoop?”

He pointed to himself, eyes circling the ceiling for a moment, before he shook his head and rushed to the desk, fiercely scribbling on his notebook. After a second, he held it up to him. Roy squinted at the messy scrawl. “You...want the room to yourself tonight?” he pronounced. He stood up straight, scratching the back of his head, then he paused.  _ “Ooh,  _ you do, do you?”

A devious smirk sprawled across his face.  _ Uh-oh,  _ Link thought. “You might’ve just answered my question,” he said, circling around him. “This has something to do with Princess Zelda, doesn’t it? Huh?  _ Huh~?”  _

Link ducked his head behind the notebook to avoid showing his face, getting redder by the second. “Hah! I knew it!” Roy exclaimed, trying to poke at Link’s stomach, while the latter tucked his elbows in to avoid the onslaught. “So, you going to treat her right tonight~? A little TLC? Boy, what I wouldn’t give to bang--”

Link managed to scurry around him to cover his mouth, pushing him back into the bedpost, but it wasn’t enough to stifle his laughter. “H-hey, hey!” Roy cried, struggling to pull Link’s hand away. “I’m just messin’ with you! I-I mean, you  _ are,  _ aren’t you?” 

“I don’t know!” Link hissed, then fumbled with his notebook to scribble down another note:  _ “I just kissed her!”  _

“Well, that’s a start, I guess,” Roy said, finally free and wiping his face. “Look, if you want the room to yourself to mack with your new girlfriend, that’s cool by me, bro.” 

Link groaned through his teeth and rolled his eyes. “Thanks,” he sighed, tossing the notebook aside. It almost reached the desk, but fell just short, plopping onto the floor.

“I’ll probably head off to that new trophy room that got built at the end of the mansion,” Roy mused, spacing out toward the window. “Then have a little sleepover party with my best friend Marth. I’ll make a night of it!” He turned back to Link, who was holding one of his arms and biting the tip of his nail on his left hand. “Yo, you okay? You nervous?”

Link nodded, much more subtle than his other nods, and he kept his eyes forward. “Hey, chillax, man,” Roy said, rubbing his back--at first with one hand, then gradually squaring off behind him and using both hands to massage his shoulders. “You’ve got this, nothin’ to worry about.”

“Nn…” Link rolled his shoulders, huffing a bit.

“You got to kiss her, right?” Roy asked.

Link nodded.

“And she was cool with it?”

“Mmm.”

“Then you’re all good! She likes you!” Roy slapped his back, making him choke. “I mean, no homo or anything, but who  _ wouldn’t  _ want that handsome bod of yours?” 

Link whipped around with a raised eyebrow, the word  _ “what”  _ on his lips clear enough so he didn’t have to say it. “Never mind,” Roy dismissed, running his finger under his nose. Suddenly, his good-natured smile faded to the sheepish side. “J-just a little...support?”

“Okay,” he whispered, shaking his head.  _ Roy thinks I’m attractive? That’s new… _

_ “Anyway,”  _ he said loudly, clapping his hands. “The place is all yours tonight. If you need anything, you know where I’ll be.” He winked at him and cracked his knuckles. “Good luck, bro.”

Despite the anxiety buzzing in the back of his head, he gave him a thumbs up.  _ I’m going to need it,  _ he thought.  “Thanks,” he replied, quiet voice cracking.

* * *

 

At around eight o’clock that night, Roy whistled as he waltzed down the long hallway that was home to most of the trophy rooms in the mansion. The end of the hall had a new, double wide door, gold handles gleaming in the dim overhead light. “Can’t wait to see what this is about,” he muttered to himself.  _ Link’s busy getting laid, and I’m out here sightseeing. I probably should’ve told Marth ahead of time that I’d be sleeping over. Oh, well.  _

The door clicked open smooth, revealing the assist room--the pools of water around the podium sparkling warm light from beneath. Roy gawked around the rounded walls, boots hollow against the tile. “So, what is it I’m supposed to see here?” he asked no one in particular.  _ Mario said that M.H. would bring in “old friends” to help during matches. So, what, they just pop up here, out of nowhere? Seems kind of fishy… _

He jumped when the silence was broken by gravel pinching under his toes, and he lept back--the floor had a hair width crack running all the way up its center, and he only noticed it by the purple glow that filtered through it.  _ Weird.  _ Just as soon as his heartrate relaxed, a voice made it shoot back up again:

“Roy?”

_ That’s… _

He turned slowly on one heel, his cape fluttering behind him. A man had appeared on the podium, bearing such a striking resemblance to Roy that they could be mirror images--the same hair, although more tame; the same eyes, same broadness in his shoulders and strength in his jaw. Age lined his face, drawing wrinkles around his eyes and his forehead. “Roy, is that you?” he said again.

Roy’s eyes fixated themselves on him, knees weak as he staggered a couple steps closer. “Y-you...look well,” he stammered, face twitching into a smile, “...Father.”


	5. Phase 4

_I never realized how quiet the foyer is without anyone around._

It was completely deserted when Zelda arrived, as well as pitch dark, with only the light of the moon filtering milky light in through the full-length windows. She wandered to them to observe and count the stars in the inky black skies, anything to calm her nerves. _“Meet me at midnight”, he said,_ she thought, her breathing loud in her ears. _A secret tryst, away from prying eyes._ She licked her lips. _I have been thinking about that kiss all day._

_I have been trying to think about what it means._

_He kissed me...and I kissed him back._

_And the memories…_

The floor creaked beneath her, and she whirled around, scanning the room for any signs of disturbance. The east exit was empty, as was the cafeteria, but a reflection caught her eye from the west side. “Wh-who…” she began, until the figure walked closer.

“It’s just me,” Link whispered.

Indeed, it was. He was still in his tunic from the day, but it appeared to fit looser, and upon closer inspection in the moonlight, she noticed the usual trim of chainmail was absent. As soon as she was within reach, he cupped her waist with one hand, and stroked her shoulder with the other, his touch gentle. _He isn’t wearing his gloves either._

The dim light reflected off the features in his face, and a pang of doubt

_(you didn’t recognize him at first)_

gripped her stomach, making it churn.

_(he isn’t your hero)_

He kissed her temple, then paused to balance his forehead against hers, and she could feel his heartbeat under her fingertips as they wandered to his shoulders, to his chest. _But...this is Link._

_(there’s something missing)_

_Would I know it if I saw it? If I felt it?_

Link tilted his head and kissed her lips. _Courage and wisdom, we’re like moths to each other’s flame._ She returned it with more vigor than she realized, and he pulled her completely flush against his body to compensate, his hand trickling down to her hips. _I want...to feel that flame._

_That spark…_

_That resonance…_

_“Nn…”_ The moment sound escaped from Link’s throat, he broke the kiss, out of breath when he parted. “C-come with me,” he murmured, linking his hand with hers, fingers entwined.

He tugged at her arm and broke into a brisk walk toward the hallway, nearly dragging Zelda behind him. Her heart raced as she scampered behind, down through the dark hallways of the dorms. _I may pay dearly for this, just for this taste,_ she thought, her palms clammy in his bare hands. _But, I’m not sure if I can...control this feeling._

_This pull._

_I need to know...if it’s real. I need to feel it for myself._

They reached 305, the outside of his dorm, and Link fumbled to get the handle open. “Wait a second,” she whispered, drawing close to his back. “Isn’t Roy--”

Link shook his head immediately. “He won’t be here,” he muttered as it clicked open.

“Why?” The question was pointless, just something to fill the air as they stumbled in, Link making a point to double lock the door behind him. The darkness left a grainy, blueish hue throughout the room, even though the half moon shone dim through the window, but she could still see his figure, she could still see the shine of his eyes. She could still feel the warmth from his closeness as he held her by her waist, bumping his forehead against hers.

“Zelda,” he whispered.

_(“Zelda.”_

_“Princess…_

_...no, Zelda…”)_

She swallowed hard, thousands of images flashing through her mind as their lips met, breathy and needy, and they kissed, and kissed, dancing slowly through the tiny dorm. His hands were gentle, honest, but not wandering--and yet, they shivered, stretching at her dress to keep steady. _Link…_ Her arms laced around his shoulders,

_(strong and sturdy, just like the hero’s should be)_

tugging off his hat to run her fingers through his soft, tawny blonde hair. They had wandered to the bunk bed, somehow, and Link paused for a moment, leaning her against the bedpost. His breathing shuddered as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face, smiling faintly. “Zelda,” he murmured again, oddly avoiding her gaze. “I’ve...missed you.”

Then, even softer, more tender than Zelda could ever imagine a voice could sound: “I love you.”

Adrenaline tightened her body from the inside, all the way to her jaw. _Ah…_

_(is he the one you want?)_

She chose not to respond, lifting his chin so she could look at him. _He’s afraid…?_ He was vainly trying to smile, but it couldn’t quite break the surface, as he kept biting his lip, breathing hard out his nose. _Does he want me to say it back? I…_

_(he’s the hero)_

_(but is he?)_

_I don’t know…_

_(it’s Link, but a different Link, can’t you tell?)_

Doubt gnawed in the pit of her stomach, but she tilted her head to kiss him again, despite her swarming thoughts, and he returned it,

_(you saw Link in the twilight and this is not him)_

_Does it matter?_

_(does it? does it? does it?)_

with more vigor than before, fumbling at the back of her dress. With a little effort, it gave, revealing her bare back

_(thousands of lifetimes we’ve been together_

_courage and wisdom_

_so why is this_

_any different?)_

to his trembling hands. His touch was so light that it rose goosebumps immediately, and a shuddering sigh from her lips. _“A-ah…”_ She closed her eyes. _I can have this, let me_

_(fake hero fake Link)_

_just take this, right here, right now_

_(fake hero fake courage how could a man with courage have hands that tremble so easily)_

_while he still makes me feel warm…_

He let her go, shuffling in front of her, and by the time she opened her eyes, his boots and most of his armor was already off, only leaving his thin undershirt beneath. He froze before pulling it off, eyes wide like a caught puppy. Despite her gaping dress, Zelda stepped forward to gingerly pull his last shirt over his head, letting it flutter from her fingertips to the floor. He chuckled, a little sheepishly, before drawing her into his arms again, his chest warm. Her hands trickled down it, delicate, stopping short of his belt. _This feels so familiar,_ she thought, a drowsy warmth soaking from her head through her shoulders. _And yet._

* * *

 

Naked on the top bunk together, Link held Zelda close, very close, and in between the undulation of his hips, he kissed her neck, gentle and soft. Her head was buried in the crook of his shoulder, even if only to control her breathing. _Is this what you thought it would be?_

_Is it?_

_Is it?_

A soft, low hum interrupted her thoughts.

Link’s kisses crept along her collarbone, humming a low melody that lilted and danced, desperate to break free from his lips. It stayed quiet and soothing throughout, resonating in his tenor, [a tune she didn’t quite recognize:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7tzYeKqWvU)

He smiled into her neck, and she held her breath, focusing on the tiles in the ceiling. _You’re honest, you’re sweet--_

_A-ahn…_

_You’re passionate, but…_

His pace was starting to pick up, and he held her more firmly against him, his moans shuddering in the back of his throat. _You aren’t...the one._

_I mistook you for someone else._

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut and clung to his back, focusing her attention on him inside her, full and thick, rather than the burning discomfort in her chest. _I’m sorry._

* * *

 

She waited until 5 AM before she attempted to get out of bed.

He was warm and wrapped around her, arms and legs both, snoring very gently. She pulled the covers off them both, and in the dim morning light, she could see the Triforce mark on the top of his hand. _Just like mine._ A rush of air caught in her throat, and suddenly it was raining on her cheeks. _I’ve made a mistake. I made a huge, horrible mistake._

_I need to leave._

She swung her legs over the bed, bare calves dangling over the top bunk. _Why did we have to sleep up here?_ She attempted to shuffle over to the ladder, but was stopped by a tug to her waist. “Mmn…”

She froze, whipping back to Link. His brow furrowed in his sleep as he tried to keep her in his grasp, but within a moment, he rolled over, curling into himself. Within another, he was snoring again, his thick eyebrows neutral over his closed eyes. Zelda shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. _I’m sorry, Link. I shouldn’t...I shouldn’t have even tempted fate._

_Fate…_

_(deep blue eyes of the wolf)_

_...despite how cruel it can be, brought us together once again._

The bed creaked as she climbed down to the floor, gathering her dress and undergarments in her arms. _There will be others up, I am sure,_ she thought, dressing as fast as she could. _But, at least he will not be up, and I can get back to my room in time to change properly._ She buttoned the back of her dress,

_(his hands trembling on her back)_

memories from the night before

_(“Nn, a-aaah…” Moaning, right on the edge of climax, right into her ear as he twitched and writhed in her arms)_

resurfacing, gasping for attention before she shut them down, swallowing another lump in her throat. _I just need to get out of here, as soon as I can…_

All that was left were her shoes, and she slipped them on quickly before slipping out the door, twisting the handle so the latch didn’t click when she closed it. _Shoot, I still have to go all the way across this hallway, through the foyer, and over to the other side, hopefully without running into anyone._ The dorm hall was silent and dark for the most part, and she moved quick and light on her toes, past the identical, mahogany doors. _What am I going to say to him? What should I even do? I can’t avoid him forever…_

_I do not want to hurt him, for he is...kind. He’s sweet, and gentle. But he’s just...he’s not the Link I know. He’s not the Link I want._

_And even that hurts._

The light from the foyer drew closer, as did the dim sound of music coming from one of the rooms. _Is that...a piano? I didn’t know this place had instruments too._ As it grew louder, her pace slowed, trying to decipher its location. It didn’t take long--out of the many doors, only one was open, even if only halfway, and the melody flowed rich and strong from it. _Such a heavy hand…_

She had almost cleared the door when the music stopped, and she made the mistake of freezing by instinct. “Zelda?” a deep voice asked.

She bit the inside of her cheek. _Damn it._ “Yes?” she replied. _Foolish, you should have kept walking--!_

The voice chuckled. “Aren’t you up early this morning?” The more it spoke, the more she could discern the growls in the consonants, the low rumble that chilled her very core. _There is only one person who would speak to me with that condescending tone._

_Ganon._

“It’s none of your business,” she answered coldly, finally taking another step forward until she realized he had appeared at the door, leaning in the frame. What was more disturbing was that he was in a silk, sky blue bathrobe, and seemingly nothing else. It unfortunately drew her attention more than she ever desired. “Ugh…”

“It’s not?” he said, amused. “Running back to the foyer in the dress you wore the day before?” His head lazily tilted to the side, and he raised a finger to an open section in the back. “Princess, it appears you missed a button in your haste.”

“Stop it,” she snapped, flinching away. _Despicable man…_ She reached both hands behind her back, only to find that it was right below where she could reach. After a moment of trying, she dropped her arms to her sides, clenching her fists.

“Why don’t you join me, and I won’t make a fuss, hm?” He took one step back inside, his matching blue slippers shuffling on the hardwood floor. “I am sure you wouldn’t want me...spreading false information.”

Zelda’s lip curled, anxiety turned to heated anger behind her eyes. A quick look down the hallway showed her that the foyer was still empty, still too early for anyone else to be up. _He cannot touch me here, this isn’t his realm. It will be uncomfortable, but this...place will protect me._ She sighed and nodded, provoking another chuckle from him.

The room was small, some instrument cases lined up in the back corner, but a grand piano, glossy black with the top open, was the centerpiece of the room. The ivory keys were pristine, almost as if they had never been touched. Ganondorf immediately seated himself on the long bench, patting the space beside him. “Have a seat,” he said. “Do you play?”

Zelda chose not to respond, but reluctantly sat beside him, as far on the opposite edge of the bench as she could without falling off. Her hands laced themselves firmly in her lap, knuckles white and gripping her own hands. Her Triforce mark gleamed at her in gold from the top of her hand, and she cursed at herself. _Shoot! I forgot my gloves. So much for leaving without a trace._

Ganondorf tapped a key, low and deep, and it resonated throughout the body of the instrument. “I have taken to coming here in the early morning. _Most_ days, I am not disturbed.” A steaming mug of coffee was perched on the top of the piano, and he took a sip from it. Afterwards, [he played a couple muted, sustained chords](http://shadsy.co.vu/post/140872658492/supershadsy-so-who-wants-to-hear-me-pretend-to)\--much more gentle than the stormy piece he was playing before Zelda had interrupted. “So, will you indulge me?”

Still, Zelda said nothing as Ganondorf traced notes on the bass end of the piano, oddly calm and quiet. _This is a side of him...I have not seen. Still, I do not have to tell him anything._ Her jaw ached from how tense it was, as did her shoulders.

“I can hazard a guess,” he said at her silence. “You were with someone last night.”

She scowled across the open piano, watching the hammers hit the strings with restraint. _Damn it._ “Yes,” she mumbled, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

“May I ask who it was?”

“No.”

“Was it Link?”

She didn’t reply. _Is it...that obvious?_

Ganondorf kept his gaze focused at his fingertips. “And you stayed the whole night,” he continued, right hand wandering up the octaves, closer to her. “Except here you are now. Was it too shameful to enter the foyer together in the morning?”

“No.” The low, moody melody of the piece was beginning to lull her, and she even found one of her hands drawn to the high end of the keyboard, the ivory cool beneath her fingertips.

“So, why?” he asked. “Was he a disappointing lover?”

Her finger jolted on the key, thankfully in tune, but her face burned hot. “N-no, that was not the case.” Her lips tingled,

_(“Nnm, Z-Zelda…”)_

reminiscent of passionate kisses. Without realizing, her fingers began to wander at the keys, gently plucking plaintive high notes in the wash of dark sound. “He…”

She played a line, and Ganondorf repeated it in time, now holding his gaze upon her. “He was...not the Link I knew.” The words fell from her mouth easily, too easily. _Why couldn’t I have told him that from the start? Before we even found ourselves in bed together…_

“Ah.” He nodded, his hands withdrawing from the keyboard and lying in his lap. “You see it now, don’t you?”

A finger still held onto the last note she played, even though there was no longer any sound, and she quickly let it go, the thump of the hammer withdrawing able to be heard in the silence of the room. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I could see it from when I first saw you both,” he said. “Neither of you are the Link or Zelda I am familiar with. I could see it in your eyes.” His eyes dimmed as he looked past the piano into blank space. “I thought maybe I could collect the Triforce here, with both of you within my grasp. But, what power does it have if the pieces don’t match?”

 _The pieces don’t match._ “But…” she began, hair sliding over her shoulder as she tilted her head down in thought. “I...felt something. I felt a connection, as if thousands of years of the same fate had brought us together again.” She swallowed, a bitter taste in her mouth. “It was there.”

“Zelda.”

The gentleness in his voice made her jolt her head up to him. It still growled, still intimidating and deep, but now it vibrated with a chord of sympathy. “The ties of fate are broken in this place,” he said quietly. “It is a pity you...had to find out in a manner such as that.”

Zelda’s throat ached, but she spoke through it anyway, barely a whisper: “A pity, indeed.”

From the foyer, the clatter of chairs floated into the music room, and Ganondorf took another drink of his coffee. “If your intention was to slip in unnoticed, this is your last chance.” He stood up from the bench, adjusting his bathrobe. With only another nod, he left with mug in hand, leaving the door open only a crack behind him.

 _The pieces don’t match._ Zelda’s body tensed and shook. _The ties of fate are broken in this place._

“Damn it,” she cursed, shoulders shivering as tears spilled from her eyes, straight onto the piano keys. “Imagine, me getting _sympathy_ from Ganon…”

She inhaled hard through her teeth, and used a piece of her dress to dab her eyes, swallowing any other tears that threatened to leave her eyes. _It’s time to go. No matter what I have to face._


	6. Phase 5

Zelda stared at her tray, in hopes that maybe the warm smell of her brown sugar oatmeal would tempt her appetite. In the cafeteria line, Kirby even decorated it with strawberries in hopes to distract her drawn face, but it was a fruitless attempt. The red halves stared up at her, earnest and bright, but the stale feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t leave.  _ I hate this. I’m terrible.  _

A finger tapped her shoulder. When she turned to address it, she was ambushed on her other side with a kiss to her cheek. “Good morning,” Link said, winking. He stood tall, beaming at her with that same, sunny smile he always had, freckles standing out on his flushed cheeks.  _ Gods, no,  _ Zelda thought, her heart sinking, sinking lower as he offered a pair of white gloves, her long white gloves, to her. “You forgot these.”

Wordlessly, she took them, and let them fall into her lap. As her breath continued to throttle and burn in her throat, Link took no notice, pulling up a chair close beside her, shoulders brushing. “You were up before I was,” he murmured, running his hand down over her shoulder, through to her arm. “I--”

She flinched away from him, holding her arms against her breast. Link froze in space, hovering above her thigh. She didn’t dare to breathe, didn’t dare to look at him, didn’t dare to break the silence or anything at all.  _ I can’t move. But, I can’t do this. Link, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t. This is my fault.  _

They stayed frozen for an impossible time, the world passing around them, before Zelda finally,  _ finally  _ swallowed, allowing herself to breathe, to speak. “We need to talk,” she said. 

Zelda heard the sigh in his breath as he pulled away, and when she finally managed to look at his face, his eyes were cast downward, lips moving to form words, but no sound coming out. Eventually, he nodded, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He turned his head to her, but didn’t look at her.  _ Where?  _ he mouthed, easy to read.

“N-not here,” she replied. “Have you been to the music room?”

He squinted, then shook his head, but waved his hand as well. He pointed to himself, then to his eyes, flicking his finger away. Before she could say anything else, he stood up, the chair scraping against the floor, grating in the murmur of the morning. Every move he made was slow, deliberate, from his footsteps, down to the hand he placed on her shoulder, gentle as it dropped away.  _ No, Link… _

She stood up and followed him, taking a half-step in front of him. “D-don’t, j-just...follow me, please,” she insisted, trying to keep her voice down as to not draw attention. However, she found she already was, with the eyes of some of the Pokemon darting up as soon as she stood. Link’s eyes were dead set on the floor, but he followed her anyway, the bounce in his step completely absent.

_ I have ruined everything,  _ Zelda cursed at herself, palms clenched as she walked out of the cafeteria, through the foyer and around the corner to the music room.  _ So swiftly, so concisely.  _

She entered the room, ready to sit at the piano, but stopped short when Link hung back in the doorway. “I…” she started. His fingers curled around the door frame, and he was managing to look up at her, but the spark was gone in his eyes, instead filled with anxiety and doubt. “I-I don’t know...how to say this...”

“Did I hurt you?” he muttered.

“No! No of...of course not,” Zelda said quickly. “You were wonderful last night...it’s just…”

Her voice caught in her throat, as thousands of different words bounced in her head, blocked by the drawn look on Link’s face.  _ At this rate, I don’t know which is easier. Do I keep playing along, pretending this is the Link I _

_ (want) _

_ know? Or do I free myself, only to make him miserable?  _ “I...made a mistake.”  _ It’s too late, I’ve already made my choice. My chest hurts.  _ “I-I don’t...I…I can’t…”

Link held a finger to his lips, closing his eyes and shaking his head.  _ No, no, this only makes it worse!  _ Frustration bubbled in her gut, burned in her throat, and manifested as tears in her eyes. “I...I’m sorry,” she said, her speech beginning to run without her, cracking and unsteady. “I-I should have...shouldn’t have taken things so far, I should have spoken to you a-about wh-what I...what I...and I…”  _ Why can’t I collect myself? And why do I want to kiss him again, and pretend this was all a misunderstanding? _

_ (because that wouldn’t solve anything _

_ nothing _

_ at all) _

She felt a tear dribble down her cheek. “You are...not the Link I knew,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her mouth.  _ I can’t look at him, I can’t. _ “A-and I...I can’t continue...this. I’m sorry.” 

Even still, his quiet was worse than his eyes, letting it linger, even as the sounds of the morning echoed past the open door. As much as she struggled to keep herself composed, Zelda’s throat hitched, desperate to cry out, to cut through the tension.  _ You don’t deserve this, you don’t deserve this...please _

_ say anything… _

At last, he spoke. “I’m sorry, too,” he murmured. Miraculously, his voice stayed low and level, but Zelda still didn’t dare to look at his face. Even when he reached out to her, one last time, one last attempt, she turned away before his fingers could graze her face.

_ I am a coward.  _

She felt his presence in the doorway for a minute longer, and waited until she heard the sound of his boots walk away, the door closing behind him, before she let herself cry.

* * *

 

As soon as Link made his way out of the foyer and into the opposite hallway, he broke into a sprint, running into the door that was simply labelled “TRAINING”. Through the lobby, into the portal door, and he was met with a white room, with only a sandbag in the middle of it.  _ Zelda.  _

_ Why… _

He pulled out his sword and stabbed at the sandbag, gasping even though he wasn’t fatigued.  _ What did I do? Was I too forward? Was I… _

_...not good enough?  _

The sandbag simply bounced at each thrust of his sword, so he pushed at it more, thrusting at it until it was against the back wall. Then, he unleashed a spinning attack, sending it ricocheting against the wall and high into the air, only for it to flump back to the ground and right itself as soon as it landed. Link huffed and groaned as he kept slashing, kept hacking, each connection of his sword distracting from the sinking in his chest.  _ “Not the Link I knew”. What’s that supposed to mean? _

_ Not...the Link she knew. I didn’t know...that mattered. _

_ Thwack, thwack, thwack. _ The sound of his sword against the thick sandbag was heavy and dull, and the echo in the room emphasized the shift in every movement he made--from the shuffle of his clothes, to the clapping of his boots on the tile, to the strain in his breathing.  _ I wasn’t good enough. Not good enough. _

_ Not good enough… _

“Ghh!” he growled.  _ Not the right Link. What would make me the “right” one? What would it take? I made love to her, and it wasn’t enough. _

_ I  _ told _ her I loved her, and it wasn’t enough. _

_ Because I’m not the right Link. _

“Nngh, ghh…!” Each swipe of his sword was heavier, heavier still, and his arm burned from the force.  _ How long has she felt this way? Did she only come to bed with me out of pity?  _

_ Just to humor me… _

_ I was too eager to be with you, _

_ too eager to love you.  _

_ Damn it. _

_ Damn it! _

“Gggrrr _ RAAH!” _

A final overhead blow, and his grip faltered, slinging his sword across the room. As soon as it left his fingers, he crumbled to the floor, face in his hands, sobbing more than he could control. “Hhnn...wh-why…” he blubbered, bending over so far that the top of his head nearly touched the floor. Each word he spoke was punctuated with a gasp. “I...I’m sorry…

“I wasn’t…

“your Link…”

He pounded the ground until his fist ached, his wails bouncing off the walls, reverberating back into his ears with every hitching breath.  _ It hurts...it hurts… _

_ And I’m sorry, too.  _

* * *

 

Around mid-morning, Samus was greeted by Zelda storming back into their dorm, slamming the door shut behind her. She slid down it, all the way to her knees, face crumbling with a shuddering gasp. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Samus asked immediately, rushing over to her in her warm-up gear. “You left in the middle of the night, what happened?”

“I ruined  _ everything!”  _ Zelda sobbed, clutching her arms and tucking her head to her knees. “H-how c-can I even bear...the Triforce of  _ wisdom--”  _ She held her wrist up with the Triforce on it briefly. “--if I c-can’t even prevent breaking someone’s heart--!” 

“This is about Link, isn’t it?” Samus said, rubbing her back. “Listen, if he did something to hurt you--”

_ “No!  _ He d-didn’t...I…” Her fingers were starting to claw at her arms, which drew Samus’ attention immediately. She reached out for them and held them, Zelda clutching them tightly. “It was  _ m-my  _ f-fault...this was  _ all  _ my fault…”

“Take a deep breath,” she soothed, mimicking a slow inhale through her mouth, and out her nose. Zelda vainly attempted this, but fresh tears kept flowing, choking her chest. “Where did you two go?”

“W-we...went back to his room...a-and we...slept together.” She looked directly at Samus. _You had sex with him,_ she reinterpreted to herself. “He told me he loved me. A-and...I th-thought...that’s what I wanted...but he’s...he…”

“Not what you wanted,” Samus finished, with a small sigh.  _ I knew I shouldn’t have jinxed it.  _

“It’s j-just not the same!” she cried, and Samus held her hands tighter. “I-I thought if I j-just let it happen, then I’d...then he’d become the one I was looking for. Th-the Link I knew. It felt like fate.”

_ Fate, huh.  _ She pulled her into a hug, immediately feeling Zelda’s soggy face soak the crook of her neck. “It’d be easy if that’s how it worked.”

“I was  _ foolish,”  _ she hissed. “Even  _ Ganondorf  _ sympathized with me. H-how p-pathetic…”

“Easy…”

“I t-told Link th-this morning. H-he looked so h-heart-broken...I d-didn’t want to…”

“It’s better that you did,” Samus affirmed, pushing her back so she could get a better look at her face. “It’s not fair to you if you’re making yourself miserable just to keep him happy.”

She tilted her head. “A-ah...it’s not…”

_ “You did the right thing.”  _ She emphasized every syllable. “If you don’t feel the same way that he does, you’re not obligated to be with him, or anything like that. Okay?” 

“B-but--”

“I know, it sucks,” Samus sighed. “You were really brave to let him know how you really felt. Even if the timing was...well…”

Zelda sniffled, desperately trying to dry her face with her gloves, the silk doing nothing but smearing moisture all over her face. Samus got up and grabbed a box of tissues. “Here. Dab, don’t rub,” she said. “This is awful...but you can get through this.”

“I’m worried about L-Link, though…” Zelda replied, blowing her nose. 

“Worry about  _ you,”  _ Samus said. “I can keep an eye on Link, if it makes you feel better. And he’s got Roy and...some of the others.”  _ Come to think of it, he hasn’t been around anyone except Zelda and Roy in a while, and he’s spent the most time with her.  _ She gave a small smile despite the thought. “Just take a deep breath and relax for the day, okay?”

She nodded, slowly standing up with a quivering lip. “Thank you,” she said. “I...apologize for this outburst. I just couldn’t...h-hold it in for much longer--”

“No worries,” Samus replied, tying her hair up into a ponytail. “This would be tough for anyone, really.” She tightened the ponytail and cracked her knuckles. “Want me to get you some ice cream from the cafeteria?”

“B-but it’s barely noon--!” Zelda exclaimed.

“So?” She winked.

At last, Zelda gave a genuine smile, small as it was. “All right, then. I’d like that.”

* * *

 

When Link returned to his dorm, Roy was at the desk, hunched over some notebook paper. He whirled around as soon as he entered, unusual dark circles under his eyes. “Hey, hey, look who’s back!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “So, how’d it go last night?”

Link only shook his head, avoiding showing his face to Roy as he unloaded his weapons, sword and shield dropping like lead on the floor. “N-not good, huh?” Roy said. “What, did she...turn you down or something?”

Again, Link shook his head before plunking down on the bottom bunk, ripping his hat off and burying his face in it. Roy immediately went to his side, sitting right beside him with an arm around his shoulder. “Talk to me, man,” he coaxed. “Do you need some paper? I can get you some…”

As Link was motionless, Roy nabbed the notebook from the desk and a pen, flipping the paper over to a blank sheet and poked it at his knee. “Here you go. You don’t gotta  _ talk  _ like that, just…”

Link sighed, letting his hat fall into his lap as he took the notebook from him, clicking the pen. Slowly, he began to write.  _ “She doesn’t want to be with me. She said I wasn’t the right Link.”  _

Roy sucked in through his teeth. “Ouch. That’s rough, buddy.” 

He sniffled with a little nod in reply, then wrote again, each stroke of his pen heavy and deliberate.  _ “It hurts. I wanted to make her happy.”  _

“Yeah. I know you did,” he replied. “Jeez, I...dunno what to tell you. I thought you had it in the bag, man. Do you think maybe she’d change her…”

_ “No,”  _ Link wrote while he was speaking. The pen hovered over the notebook, shaking a little.  _ “I’m not going to push her. I did enough of that.”  _

“Link…” 

They sat in silence for a moment, Link setting the pen and notebook beside him, eyes still cast down at the floor. Roy rubbed his back in the meantime, before a thought dawned on him. “Hey,” he said. “I know there ain’t much I can do for you, ‘cept blow off some steam in drills, but...have you been to the Assist Trophy room yet?”

He shook his head with as little motion as possible. 

“It’s actually...pretty cool. I don’t know how they do it, but…” He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “I saw my old man the other night. He was looking...great. Last I saw, he was all sick in bed, y’know, and that’s why I had to take up the sword so soon. I didn’t get to see him for long--I was writing him a letter before you got here, about everything here, so I can give it to him when I see him again.”

Link’s head rose gradually as Roy spoke, eventually managing to look at him with glassy eyes. “M-maybe it’d cheer you up a bit, that’s all,” Roy concluded. “I’m sure...you’ve got friends back where you’re from, right?” 

Link blinked, as if in a dream.  _ Do I?  _ he thought.  _ I...can’t remember.  _

Roy chuckled, the sound laced with discomfort. “Well, it’s down at the end of the hall, where the rest of the trophy rooms are, big double doors, can’t miss ‘em.”

After a second, Link rose from the bed, dragging his feet as if they were trudging through sand. “Thanks, Roy,” he murmured, giving a thin-lipped smile. “I’ll...try.”

Roy ran a hand through his own hair and slapped his knee, looking off. “N-no prob, bro,” he replied. “Hey, tomorrow? You and me. I don’t like seeing you down in the dumps like this.”

He nodded again, twisting the handle. “Mmm,” Link mumbled, then left the dorm.

_ Roy,  _ he thought, meandering down the halls as if in a dream.  _ You’re trying, and I appreciate it.  _ The hallway and foyer seemed foreboding and intimidating, as if he were trespassing for the first time, so he kept his eyes on his boots, avoiding making any kind of contact with anyone. The weight of invisible stares slumped his shoulders, and was relieved when he managed to slink into the trophy hall without drawing attention.  _ I don’t know...if I want to be around anyone right now. I don’t know if this “assist trophy” room will help.  _

_ But, I don’t want to fight. It’s better than...doing nothing.  _

_ It’s better than hearing her voice in my head… _

He winced at himself, biting his lip hard and ripping a piece of skin off the bottom, drawing blood. 

_ (“I can’t continue this. I’m sorry.”)  _

The taste of copper was bitter on his tongue as he clenched his fists, suddenly right in front of the double doors at the end of the hallway. He nearly ran into them, and stumbled back, dazed. “Ah…” He looked all around him, making sure there was no one around.  _ I...really don’t feel well. I shouldn’t have even gone out. But…Roy said this might “cheer me up”.  _

_ And the look on his face when he spoke of his father… _

Link pulled the doors open.

On the podium sat a young woman in a white dress, legs curled up underneath her, with blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Two locks on each side of her head were tied together with purple, iridescent ribbons, glimmering in the soft light of the room. When she heard the door, she looked up, eyes darting about in confusion, blue like the sky. “Who’s there?” she asked, looking around. At last, her eyes fell on Link below her, and she smiled. “Link! What are you doing here? Is this...a dream?”

Link slowly approached the podium, mouth open, throat too dry to speak.  _ It’s you...it’s another you… _ “Impa said I had to wait here,” she mused, raising a hand to her lips. “B-but it’s been too soon...where’s the crystal? O-oh, Link don’t...don’t cry, it’s okay…!”

He lifted a hand up to her, shaky, never taking his eyes off her. “Are you...all right, Link?” she asked, immediately reaching out for it. Its touch had an odd quality to it, as if her hand was made of glass, too fragile to completely grasp.  _ But it’s warm,  _ he thought,  _ Zelda… _

_ I’m home… _

Link nodded, and kissed the top of her hand.  _ I’m home.  _


	7. Phase 6

“From what Roy told me, I guess he fell asleep there,” Samus said. “After what happened, I can’t imagine he’d want to leave--”

“I told you what?” 

Samus stood up abruptly, nearly knocking Cloud over, gun aimed at the door. “Who’s there?” she barked.

“Dude, chill!” Huffing and puffing, a sweaty Roy and equally exhausted Lucina poked into the doorway. “Your girlfriend was looking for you, and Link mentioned you were up here, so I decided to show her up, like a gentleman!” He coughed, doubled over. “I didn’t  _ know  _ there were so many Gods damned stairs…”

“I apologize for intruding…!” Lucina apologized, stumbling in as Samus went to meet her. “Oh, hello, Cloud!” 

“Hi.” He stayed back on the couch, still stewed in thought.  _ All of that, and he can still...talk to Zelda. He’s still good friends with her. How is that...even possible after all that? I don’t know if I could stand it... _

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Samus kissed Lucina’s head, holstering her gun and wrapping her arms around her waist. “Did you need anything?” 

“Well, no,” she replied, tapping her fingers together. “I-it’s just...it’s getting late, and I thought you’d be in your room by now.” 

“Sorry. I’m telling loverboy over here a long story.” She winked back at him as he scowled.  _ Why, why “loverboy”, out of all nicknames? “Chocobo” was bad enough... _

“‘Loverboy’?” Roy asked, scratching his head. “Since when is  _ this guy  _ a romantic? No offense, or anything.”

“None taken,” Cloud grumbled.

“Since he managed to sweep Link off his feet,” Samus replied simply. “At any rate, it’s up to him if he wants to stay and listen to the rest of this, or let it wait for another time. I know it’s a lot to take in all at once.” 

Cloud nodded, even before he could fully process the question, a hand partially over his mouth. “Might as well finish what we started,” he sighed. He leaned over to get a better look at Roy. “Tell Link I’ll be down as soon as I’m done, yeah?”

“Sure,” Roy said, clicking his tongue with a thumbs up. “Say, what’s this story, anyway? Is it good?” He puffed out his chest. “Is it about me? That one time where--”

“Roy, don’t be so self-centered!” Lucina exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks. “It is none of our business!” 

“Well said, Lu.” Samus turned her head back toward her and rewarded her with a soft kiss on her mouth. “You’re  _ in  _ it, but it’s not  _ about  _ you. So, no.”

“Really! Come on!” Roy crossed his arms, huffing. “Jeez, I was just asking! You’re worse than Marth sometimes, Lucy.” 

Samus bit her lip, fighting a smirk as Lucina frowned, spinning in her girlfriend’s arms to face him.  _ Guessing she’s not fond of “Lucy”,  _ Cloud mused. “Roy, how many times did I knock you out during warm-ups?” 

“Uh…” He began to count on his fingers. “Three, I think?”

“And how many times during the battles after our Smash Runs?”

He appeared to shrink inside his armor. “A...lot?”

“Exactly.” She nodded once, firm and precise. “So  _ you  _ don’t get to talk.”

He blew a raspberry at her. “Psh, whatever, man. Your Iai Counter kicks my ass every time, that’s all!”

As they bickered, Cloud stood up and began to pace toward the back of the observatory, staring up at the sky through the glass ceiling.  _ I’m not leaving until I hear this whole thing, but I have a bad feeling about where it’s going. I want to go back to him. And it’s starting to get too noisy in here...  _ “Are you guys done?” he called.

The group went silent immediately. “Oh!” Lucina squeaked, sidestepping from Samus and straightening her shoulders, standing at attention. “I’m sorry, we got carried away--!”

“Don’t apologize,” Samus said, but still ushered the two sword fighters out the door, a hand on each of their backs. “I’ll be down soon, hon. And as for  _ you-- _ don’t cause any trouble.”

“What? Trouble?  _ Me?” _ Roy said, making a little halo with his hands above his head. “I’m an angel!”

“The only angel around here is Pit, and even that’s a stretch,” Samus grumbled. She pushed Roy out the door, but gave Lucina a little tap to her rear as a parting gift. “Have fun with those stairs.”

“Bye-bye!” Lucina waved back to Cloud, and Roy gave a back-handed salute before disappearing beyond the doorway. Samus watched to make sure they were on their way before closing the door behind her, leaving it just a crack open so the hallway light could filter through.

“Well, that was unexpected,” she said, dusting her hands. “I should’ve known Lu would come looking for me after a while…”

“Mmm.” Cloud shuffled back over to the couch, running a hand through his hair. “So, what happened after Link found the assist room?”

Samus side-eyed him, snickering. “Roy was right. You’re no Prince Charming,” she commented, letting her head rest on the back of the couch. “Let’s see though...I didn’t see him at all the next day. Roy came by my place to ask where he went, and I couldn’t tell him anything. I didn’t know at the time. I saw him in passing over the next week or so, still looking awfully glum. Then again, Zelda stuck around me, and wanted to avoid him, naturally.”

She hugged her arms to her chest. “The next time anyone  _ really  _ saw anything of Link was right before the third wave. Things were getting strange around the mansion…”

* * *

 

Link stirred awake in the assist trophy room once again, the hat he had used as a pillow covered in drool. “Gh…” he groaned, back stiff as he shook it off. The room was darkened--only light from small, circular windows at the top of the dome filtered in the morning sunrise.  _ I keep falling asleep in here,  _ he thought, staring up at the empty podium.  _ It’s killing my back, but… _

_ I don’t want to leave.  _

_ (She pulled out her harp from behind her. “How about I sing for you today?” she asked.  _

_ Cross-legged on the floor, Link nodded eagerly, rocking back and forth. She took a deep breath, about to strum, but paused after studying his face for a moment. “D-don’t you need to be anywhere? You seem tired…” _

_ He fought off a yawn, before shaking his head vigorously…) _

Link stepped out, the door clicking shut behind him.  _ Oh yeah, didn’t Roy say he wanted to spar with me? A couple days ago?  _ He shook his head, drowsiness weaving his steps.  _ I...haven’t been keeping track.  _ The bustle of the morning was present in the foyer, and even as he scanned it, he kept to the edges of the room, as inconspicuous as he possibly could.  _ I don’t...feel like fighting. But, that’s what I’m here to do, right? _

_ What’s a hero who doesn’t fight? _

Even as he surveyed, however, he couldn’t spot the familiar mop of red hair in the foyer, or the cafeteria. He did see Marth, however, and he took a deep breath and approached him, jotting down on his notebook before tapping him on the shoulder.

“Hm?” he said, turning around from his breakfast (a meticulous arrangement of eggs and toast). “Link! I haven’t seen you--” Marth looked from his face down to his chest, where Link held the notebook. It had one word on it:  _ “Roy?”  _

“Oh, I haven’t seen him today,” he replied, dabbing his lips with a napkin. “I thought he’d still be sleeping?” 

_ Right. I haven’t even been to the dorm yet.  _ He nodded, tucking the notebook away and rushing back toward the opposite hall. A strange anxiety began to eat at the back of his head.  _ He usually likes to sleep in, right? I was always up before him. Sometimes I’d already be out for drills before he’d get to breakfast.  _

He almost walked past his room in his thought, having to backtrack to 305. Link twisted the handle and pushed the door open with his shoulder, only to be greeted with silence. “Roy?” he asked it quietly, scanning the tiny dorm. Oddly enough, the bottom bunk was neatly made, periwinkle blue sheets stretched tight over the corners of mattress.  _ Roy never makes his bed.  _ The bathroom in the corner was also dark and empty.  _ Roy…?  _

_ Where are you?  _

He dashed back out into the foyer, this time spotting Samus on her way out to the nearest portal door. Before she could enter, he yanked on her arm, making her stumble even in all of her armor. “Hey, hey...what’s up?” she asked.

Once again, Link held up the notebook.  _ “Roy?”  _

“I just saw him the other day…” She squared off in front of him. “He should be around. Maybe he’s already in a match somewhere? Hey--”

Link spun around to rush off, but she grabbed him before he could get anywhere. “Wait, Link. I’ve barely seen you since...your little date with Zelda.” 

He froze at her name.  _ No, don’t, I don’t want to think about… _ that  _ Zelda right now.  _ “Are you okay?” she asked, more gentle than before.

Link nodded aggressively, shaking her off and bolting toward the back corner of the foyer. The main TV was featured in the center, covered in static, but there was a smaller one in the corner, black and white with a dial instead of a remote.  _ This one can tune in to all of the stages,  _ he remembered, clicking it on. It whirred to life with a static hiss, eventually tuning in to focus on Battlefield.  _ No one’s there yet.  _ He twisted the knob, the frequency buzzing before clearing the image.  _ That’s Captain Falcon and Ness in Temple. No one in Mushroom Kingdom, Peach’s Castle, Great Bay, Brinstar... _ He swallowed hard, trying to keep his heart-rate steady as he flicked through each of the stages, one by one.  _ No Roy, no Roy, where is he? He wouldn’t be in the assist room because...I was there all night.  _

“Nn…” He took a step back from the TV, currently showing a match just beginning between Samus and Kirby on Dreamland.  _ There are so many trophy rooms to go through, but he was never  _ really _ the type to go exploring. He loved to battle, he was constantly picking fights with everyone here, especially Marth-- _

_ “Pikachu! Pika…” _

He jumped, adrenaline spiking through his heart as someone small tugged at his tunic. Looking down, Pikachu was right at his feet, pointed ears angled down with a piece of paper in its hands. He tilted his head as he bent down to the electric mouse’s level and took a closer look. It was a crude drawing of Pichu and Mewtwo, with a question mark beside it.  _ “Pika?”  _ it asked again.

_ Pichu...is missing too? And Mewtwo?  _ He cupped a hand over his mouth while grasping for his notebook, holding it out with a barely trembling hand. Upon studying it, Pikachu shook its head deliberately, bouncing up on Link’s shoulder.  _ “Chu…”  _ it lamented. 

“Let’s…” Link’s voice cracked from disuse, and he had to clear his throat to even whisper. “Let’s go ask Mario.”

_ “Pikachu!”  _ It curled its tail around Link’s neck to stabilize itself, and he nodded, making a run back through the foyer, a sinking feeling deep in his stomach.  _ That’s...three fighters gone missing. Has Master Hand taken them? Did they _

_ find a way out?  _

_ (do you want to leave?) _

_ I don’t know. _

_ (don’t you want to be with someone _

_ who cares about you?  _

_ who thinks you’re the “right” one?) _

_ I… _

His thoughts made him lose track of his own footing, only righting himself when a static spark burned his ear. He made a sharp turn out of the foyer into one of the small, side hallways--hidden away and easy to miss. It wasn’t long before he reached a door with a clouded glass window, emblazoned with a gold “M”. He knocked on it three times, loud enough to echo around them.  _ “Pika! Pika!”  _ Pikachu cried, kneading its paws into Link’s shoulder.

“Pikachu? You can come in…!” 

Link twisted the door, yelping as it was charged with electricity from Pikachu’s distress. The office itself was modest, with several golden trophies lining the walls. Mario’s desk was covered in papers, in varying states of organization; all stacks were topped with a paperweight of some kind, whether it was a green mushroom, or an invincibility star. “And Link, too! What can I-a help you with?” he asked, clasping his hands together. “I must admit, I’ve been-a pretty busy…”

Pikachu leaped from Link’s shoulder onto the desk, scattering papers everywhere, dropping the drawing right in front of Mario.  _ “Pikachu! Pika pi!”  _ it tried to explain. In the meantime, Link scribbled quickly onto his notebook, holding it out for Mario to see.  _ “Roy, Pichu, and Mewtwo have gone missing. We’ve looked everywhere, and no one else has seen them today.”  _

“Missing…” Mario mused, his mustache twitching. He began sifting through the miasma of documents, including Pikachu in the way. “I know we’re-a supposed to have another wave of challengers come in, but Master Hand didn’t mention anything about fighters  _ leaving…”  _

_ “P-Pi…”  _ Pikachu’s ears folded down completely, and it wrung its paws together, tail twitching. 

“I don’t know,” Mario muttered. “This has-a never happened before.”

Link cleared his throat again. “Should we go to Master Hand?” he asked quietly.

Mario perked up at the sound of his voice, but only briefly. “No,” he answered. “He’ll try to-a fight you otherwise.” He took off his hat and sighed, holding it to his chest. “I can-a look into it...if they’re not at the-a induction meeting tonight...I’m not-a sure what to do.” 

_ Induction meeting?  _ Link thought.  _ I...didn’t hear about it. How long was I in the assist room? Ah... _

_ “Pika...chu.”  _ Pikachu crawled off the desk and into one of Link’s open arms, forcing him to cradle it as it curled its tail around itself. He found scratching between its ears, as prickling as the static was, somewhat soothing.  _ Why do I get the feeling… _

_ (pristine bed barely looked slept in) _

_...they’re not coming back? _

“This-a place is a world between worlds,” Mario explained, his elbows on the desk. “Only Master Hand decides-a when fighters come...and when they-a go. I’m-a sure there was a reason.”

_ A reason?  _ Link hissed through his teeth.  _ A reason? As far as I knew, Roy loved being here at least...why would he go, out of anyone?  _

“I’ll-a keep an eye out,” Mario said. “In the meantime, go to your-a usual drills until the ceremony tonight.” 

“Mm,” Link replied with a small nod, legs like lead making it difficult to move.  _ Usual drills. What are my usual drills? Without Zelda. And now without Roy.  _ Pikachu breathed deep and steady in his arms.  _ I’ve...forgotten.  _

“Link?” 

He was at the door when Mario called to him, and he only turned his head to acknowledge it. “Try-a...to stay positive,” he said. 

He let the silence hang, but ultimately, Link didn’t reply, exiting the office without another word. 

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Link leaned against the wall, hugging Pikachu against his chest.  _ “Pi…”  _ it chirped, returning the gesture as best as it could with its small paws. 

“He’s gone,” Link whispered, eyes shut tight. “They’re gone, Pikachu. They’re gone.”

* * *

 

“Samus,” Zelda said, opening the door to their room. “The induction ceremony is about to--oh! Your outfit!”

“You like it?” She was sporting a skin-tight catsuit, a neon blue, with heels to match it. “It was in my dresser when I got here tonight. Looks like a new present.” She spun around, showing it off to her, running her hand down over her hips. “I can’t  _ wait  _ to pummel whomever was so eager to see more of my choice ass in this getup.” 

Zelda chuckled, albeit a little anxiously, as Samus spun a laser gun in her hand. “Anyway, yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.” 

Down the hall and out into the main foyer, Samus kept her posture low in order to confide down to Zelda. “You mind if I sit with Link today?” she asked.

As she expected, his name showed its impact on her--a jerk of the shoulder’s, the slight widening of her eyes. “It’s fine,” she replied. “There’s no need to ask--”

“I wanted to, just in case.” The foyer was already set up, rows of chairs similar to the previous induction ceremony. “First time I see him in a few days and he’s acting...off. I want to see if I can talk to him.” 

“Mmm.” Zelda kept her eyes down at the floor. “I hope he’s all right…”

“Don’t worry.” Samus replied, patting her shoulder. “Just enjoy the show.”

Zelda nodded in reply with a thin smile, and took a seat in the back row. Samus, in the meantime, spotted Link with his head down in the second row of chairs, almost in the exact spot he was during the first congregation. “Hey, kid,” she greeted, making the thin, metal folding chair squeak as she settled in. “Did you ever find Roy?”

His eyes twitched, only barely acknowledging her presence, and made a miniscule motion with his head that could be construed as a shake. His shoulders were hunched forward, hands and his clasped in his lap, oddly without his gloves.  _ He looks so...tired,  _ she observed.  _ I’ve never seen those dark circles under his eyes before. And does his face look thinner, or is that my imagination? He hasn’t been at breakfast these last couple days.  _

Mario had stepped up to the front, a clipboard in his hands. “Well, it seems we-a have another wave of fighters to announce!” he greeted cheerfully. “Without-a further ado…”

A portal door manifested at his side, glowing bright white, but Samus was more concerned with the one beside her, motionless and unresponsive to anything around him. “Listen,” she whispered, drawing closer. “I know...you must be really hurting, but…” 

She trailed off as he slowly closed his eyes, fists shaking as he clenched them.  _ I’ve...never seen him like this. He’s always so upbeat.  _ One by one, new fighters strolled out of the portal, greeted by applause that was lost on the two of them. Ness jumped up to greet a blonde haired boy with a hug and a cheer. Kirby was surrounded by a penguin that was twice his size and a round, masked knight with a sword the size of their body. Still, there was no one she recognized, and she was a second from rubbing Link’s back when Mario’s voice interrupted her:

“I am also sorry to announce that several fighters will not be rejoining us.”

She jerked her head up.  _ What?  _ Most of the group was mingling with the newcomers, but Pikachu lingered on its seat still, tail twitching expectantly--as well as Marth, seated next to a large, blue haired man she did not recognize. “This includes…” Mario hesitated before focusing his attention to the clipboard in his hands, taking a deep breath. “Mewtwo, Pichu...and Roy.” 

Link sucked in hard through his teeth and covered his face in his hands. “That’s…” she uttered. “Wh-what happened? Did they just...disappear? Did they leave? Did--”

Beside her, Link rose from his seat, wiping his face on his sleeve, head down at the floor. His shoulders shook, opposite hand twitching, and he shuffled out of the row, boots dragging hard on the floor. “Wait, Link--!” Samus said. She tried to reach for him, but he snaked away, back turned toward her. “Please.

“Won’t you talk to me?”

He paused just at the end of the row, standing motionless, frozen. Out of the corner of her eye, Samus saw Zelda as well, watching him with worried, frightened eyes. At last, Link sighed, heavier than anything she had ever heard, and he walked away, picking up pace with every step he took. 

She slid out of her chair and immediately tried to pursue. “Link--!” she shouted.

“Let him go,” Marth said behind her.

She whipped around, ready to scold him, but was taken back when met with a similar look on his face--drawn, tired. “Give him some space. It is...disheartening, to say the least, to search for a friend all day...only to discover that they are not coming back.”

_ Ah... _ “B-but…” She spun around, only to find Link nowhere in sight, absent from the foyer all together. “I’m just--”

“It is natural to be worried. Let him have space.” Marth’s fingers flexed in his lap, and the man beside him kept a careful eye on his posture. “Link is strong, I have seen him on and off the battlefield. I am sure he will make it through after some time.”

“Yeah…”  _ You don’t know about what happened with him and Zelda. You don’t know that this is the second blow in a very,  _ very  _ short period of time.  _ “That’s true, but…”

“There you are, Marth!” Princess Peach scurried up beside them, a little out of breath. “I was looking for you! I was going to see if you had met Ike, but it looks like you already have…!”

“Yes, Princess,” he replied, his whole body straightening to pristine posture. “Ike is an esteemed colleague of mine…”

As she was ignored, Samus was left to stare at the seat where Link sat, Zelda in her peripheral vision.  _ I can only hope he’s right,  _ she thought, chewing the inside of her cheek.  _ The next time I see him, though, I’m going to make sure he communicates.  _


	8. Phase 7

Samus paused, staring at the nearly closed door to the observatory. “The problem with  _ that,  _ was that I  _ didn’t  _ see him.” 

Cloud had removed himself from the couch, choosing to pace in front of it instead. “What do you mean?”

“He just...avoided most of us. He went to some matches, he did some drills, but none of the ones I was in. That wave of fighters added another twelve or thirteen new challengers, so things were a lot more busy in the house. It was as if he took advantage of that. Even Sheik couldn’t find him when they looked.” She pulled her hair out of her ponytail to shake it out. “You know about Sheik, right?”

“Yeah.”

She kept the hair-tie in her mouth as she combed her fingers through her long blonde mane, taming it into her hands. “Yeah. So there was that.” Her eyes followed Cloud as he paced, boots thudding on the carpet. “You okay? Wanna take a break?”

“No,” he replied immediately, though his eyes didn’t meet hers. “When was the next time you saw him?”

“It was another two weeks or so,” she said. “I sort of shuffled it off to the back of my mind, since there was a lot going on.” As soon as her hair was back into its bouncy ponytail, she leaned forward. “I didn’t realize I hadn’t seen him  _ at all  _ until Zelda mentioned it...”

* * *

 

Zelda slammed her book shut abruptly in her bed. “Samus,” she said.

“Hm?” 

“When was the last time you saw Link?”

She turned in her desk chair, crossing her legs in her pajama pants.  _ When  _ was  _ the last time I saw Link?  _ She scanned the dorm room floor, as if to look for clues. “I...don’t remember,” she pronounced. “I think...it was at this past wave of fighters. He hasn’t been in any of my drills recently.”

Zelda swung her legs over the bed, eyes wide. “Samus, that was  _ two weeks ago.”  _

“Shit,  _ really?”  _ Samus pushed her bangs back, tugging on them a little as she sat back. “That’s...that  _ can’t  _ be good.”

Zelda agreed by shaking her head. “No, it’s not.” She hugged her arm around her camisole, the other at her lips, nails at her teeth. “I’m worried. I’ve been wanting to speak with him again, but...he’s never around anymore.”

Samus slapped her hands against her thighs. “You know what we have to do then,” she said, stretching as she stood. She walked to her dresser and began digging through it. “Let’s ask around, let’s go look for him.”

“All right.” 

* * *

 

_ (“Link… _

_ thank you for staying with me for so long.  _

_ You’re always so kind…”) _

Link stirred on the floor of the assist trophy room, curled up on his hat.  _ Headache… _ He rubbed his head, dizzy after righting himself, stiff in his neck and in his lower back. As he steadied himself back on his hands, they gravitated into a crack in the floor, causing him to slip. Glancing down, the crack was about a finger’s width, emanating a deep purple light.  _ Has that...always been there? _

He shook his head and refocused to the podium--empty at the current time.  _ It takes a few minutes for her to come by. She’s probably sleeping too.  _ He smirked to himself despite his pounding head.  _ I can’t wait to see you again, Zelda.  _

Behind him, the door made a rattling noise. 

_ Huh?  _

He stood up and rushed to it, a voice he didn’t recognize wafting through the heavy wood. “So, this is the assist room?” it said. “Wonder what’s inside?”

Panic surged through him, gripping his chest and his head, begging for response.  _ No, you can’t come in here. You can’t come in here yet. I haven’t seen her today.  _

He fished behind him, and the first thing that came to his fingertips was his bow, neatly strung with a small red ribbon where the knock should be. Although it was flexible, it was strong, and he jammed it between the handles of the door, locking it from the inside.  _ That should work.  _

The door attempted to open, but caught on the bow, keeping it shut. “Huh? Looks like it’s locked,” the voice said, tugging on the handle a little more.

“That’s strange…”  _ That’s Luigi. Showing one of...the new fighters around?  _ “Maybe Master Hand locked it for renovations. Here, there are other trophy rooms around…”

Footsteps pattered away, and as soon as the voices completely faded, Link sighed with relief, head touching lightly against the door.  _ That was close.  _ His hand clenched at his side, as the panic didn’t quite leave him immediately.  _ Maybe...I should have let them in. But I don’t _

_ think I want to see anyone. _

_ I don’t want anyone else to see me… _

_ (some kind of hero you are) _

“Ghh…” he groaned, rubbing his eyes.  _ I’m better off...in here, anyway. There are so many challengers now, _

_ (no one that you want) _

_ they don’t need me out there.  _ His breathing started to pick up, hard out his nose as his jaw clenched tight.  _ There was someone to replace Roy. _

_ (how could they? how could they replace him) _

_ Surely, there’ll be someone to replace me. A better Link.  _

_ That’s what she wanted anyway, right? A better Link.  _

_ A better Link. _

_ A better… _

_ “Master?”  _

The voice had a light quality unlike anything he had ever heard before--like a computer dancing with a xylophone.  _ That’s not Zelda… _ He withdrew his sword from its sheath, the blue glint of the blade more prominent than before, and took two steps backward before turning around to greet it. 

The woman at the podium looked more like carved glass than flesh and blood--smooth, blue skin and hair, with shimmering blue eyes to match. She wore a cape over her shoulders that covered her arms, and her legs were clad in dark leggings, laced up with sky blue ribbons up to her purple tunic. She floated just above the podium, feet hovering just above the marble. “Who…” he whispered, the glow of her body casting a cool, ocean colored light in the dome of the room.

_ “According to my analysis, this place appears to be a break in space-time continuum,”  _ she said.  _ “However, it seems through a series of events, we are able to meet again, _

_ Master Link.” _

* * *

 

“Nope, haven’t seen him.”

“I think he was on Delfino Plaza? Or was that someone else...maybe I haven’t…”

“Link? No, I don’t think he’s been around.”

“Who? ...Oh, that guy. I haven’t even met him yet.”

Samus ground her toe into the carpet. “Damn it, no one else has seen him either--!” she huffed, crossing her arms. “This is not good, not good at all…”

Zelda kept close at her side, wringing her hands as they paced through the foyer and into one of the adjacent hallways. “Should we ask Mario?” she said.

“Mario’s our last resort,” Samus replied firmly. “I’d rather us find him ourselves before we have to send out an actual search party.”  _ We split up and asked all the fighters around here, but no results…  _ She snapped her fingers. “Hey, did you check his dorm?”

She nodded. “It was unlocked and empty.”

“Unlocked?”  _ That doesn’t sound right. “Forgetful” isn’t a word I’d use to describe him.  _ “Maybe we should-- _ oof--!”  _

In her thoughts, Samus ran straight into Ganondorf on his way out of the library. Despite her height, he still stood a couple inches taller than her, and didn’t budge from the impact. “Sorry,” she mumbled, trying to weave around him, but he stood firm--a wide stance with his arms behind his back.

“Samus,” he greeted, eyes flicking back. “And Princess Zelda. What are you two in such a hurry for?”

“We’re looking for someone,” she replied curtly, feeling Zelda draw behind her--not shrinking back necessarily, but also not at her side to confront Ganondorf. “So if you could--”

“Who would that be?” he asked, an eyebrow raised. “I observed you asking just about everyone in the lobby. Hm?” He smirked, barely revealing his teeth.

Samus scowled at it.  _ You absolute prick.  _ “If you’re  _ dying  _ to know,” she growled, hand never far from where her gun was holstered. “We’re looking for Link. You wouldn’t have happened to have seen him around, have you?”

“Link?” He took his time, leaning down a little to look right into her face, and then into Zelda’s, before deliberately straightening his shoulders, head tilting. “I thought after your  _ encounter,  _ Miss  _ Zelda,  _ you wouldn’t bother.”

Zelda wrinkled her nose, stepping forward. “That’s not your place,” she snapped. “The fact of the matter, is that  _ no one  _ has seen him in weeks.”

“No one?”  _ Boy, he’s milking this, the bastard,  _ Samus thought, crossing her arms. Ganondorf tapped the bottom of his chin. “No one...hm, are you sure?”

“Listen, if you know something we don’t, you should tell us,” Samus said, tapping the heel of her boots hard against the floor.  _ And I’m sure you do.  _

He snorted. “How observant of you,” he replied. “I’ve seen him a few times. Although not in battle, unfortunately.”

“Where? Where did you see him?” Zelda asked, urgency laced in each syllable.

“Aren’t you eager? You aren’t having second thoughts about him, are you?” Ganondorf shook his head, thick amusement on all his features, and stared off down the hallway. “He seems to always be heading down to the end of the hallway. To the assist trophy room.” His eyes turned back to the ladies. “Do you know what’s in there?”

“Mario said...it’s where one can see others from their own world,” Zelda said. “So, why…”

_ “I  _ heard that it shows you whoever you want to see most,” Ganondorf continued. “Perhaps he’s found something more comforting.”

_ Something more comforting?  _ “But those are just...holograms. They’re not real,” Samus stated. “Link hasn’t been in battles for almost two weeks. If he’s been cooped up in that room…”

“He probably doesn’t want to come out,” Ganondorf finished for her. 

_ Doesn’t want to come out. Link, what were you thinking? That assist room isn’t going to make you feel any better.  _ Ganondorf chuckled under his breath, and Samus glared at him, standing right up in his face. “Why didn’t you tell anybody?” she snapped. “You  _ knew  _ this was going on, probably for a while, too! At this rate, he might really disappear--!”  _ Or something worse… _

_ (wasted away on the floor of the trophy room, sword cast aside, a hollow shell of his former self)  _

Her eye twitched, but nonetheless, Ganondorf kept his composure. “Do you honestly think I give a damn about him?” His amusement turned sour, spoiling into a grimace on his face. “For someone with the Triforce of courage, he  _ reeks _ of cowardice--”

_ All right, that’s enough out of you--!  _ With lightning speed, Samus stretched back and punched Ganondorf in the face, cracking his neck back in shock. “Don’t talk shit about Link,” she sneered. “He’s a better person than you could  _ ever  _ be.” His head stayed motionless, and she took the opportunity to motion to Zelda. “C’mon. Let’s head to the assist room.”

She broke into a run, shaking her hand. “Damn, that brute sure has good bone structure,” she muttered. “What an  _ asshole!”  _

“I can’t believe he was keeping that from everyone,” Zelda said, a higher pitch in her voice.  _ Yeah, that probably startled her. Especially after what he said about Link.  _ “Although, on second thought, perhaps I shouldn’t be…”

“Whatever, we have a lead now,” she replied, picking up enough speed to make her pant. “Let’s see what we can do.”

* * *

 

“Fi,” Link breathed, mesmerized by the spirit’s presence. The glow of her had completely engulfed the room, and he found himself stumbling closer to the podium.

_ “That is what I am called. It seems you can remember some things,”  _ she said.  _ “Given the Master Sword at your side, there is a 98% likelihood that you are the young hero.” _

_ Am I?  _ he thought fleetingly, swallowing hard. 

Fi studied him for a moment, her cape fluttering without any wind. _ “You are different, however. You have been here--” _

A cracking sound echoed through the dome, as the break in the floor opened up slightly wider. Link ignored the buzzing in his ears in favor of Fi’s blank eyes.  _ “--for a significant amount of time. It has saturated your memories.” _

He nodded, weaving on his feet. His vision doubled for a moment, and he shook his head to ward it off.  _ Ah.  _

_ “You are weakened, Master. Your demeanor suggests a lack of energy, caused by sleep deprivation and undernourishment.”  _ The way her voice sung lacked distinct emotion, as if everything she spoke was a mere statement of fact.  _ I...know,  _ he thought, hugging his arm and looking down.  _ Are you sure I’m the hero?  _ The purple light in the crack below him swirled, and he was easily distracted by it.  _ Are you sure? _

_ Are you sure? _

_ “Master Link.” _

She had leaned forward to try and look at his face, but adjusted immediately when he looked up.  _ “You were waiting for Zelda, is that correct?”  _

_ Zelda…!  _ “Mmm!” he replied, nodding enthusiastically, despite the action making his head pound.

_ “It may not be safe here for her anymore,”  _ Fi said.  _ “The fabric of space is very thin…” _

“N-no--!” he hissed, running right up to the podium, kneeling at Fi’s feet. “I can protect her, let me see her again…”

_ Crack!  _

The break in the floor became wide enough for his entire foot to fit in, and it forced himself to straddle it, reaching for Fi’s hand.  _ Why won’t you let me see her?  _ he panicked, a cold sweat breaking on his brow.  _ Am I still too weak? Is it still not enough?  _

_ I can...protect her.  _

_ Let me protect this Zelda… _

_ Let me be strong enough for anyone… _

_ (otherwise, what’s the point?) _

_ “Master…!”  _ Fi’s strange voice jumped up an octave.  _ “There’s someone--” _

* * *

 

“Here it is!”

Samus skidded to a stop in front of the double doors of the assist room. The aura wafting from beneath the door chilled her to the bone, and Zelda had her ears covered. “What’s that awful noise?” she exclaimed. “It’s ringing in my ears…”

“No idea,” Samus said, yanking on the doors. “Damn it, he’s got it blocked! See how it gives?  _ Link!”  _ She yanked and pulled, the rattle echoing through the hallway.  _ “Link, open the door!  _ Give me a hand!”

Zelda shook her head and came back to herself, grasping the handle beside Samus, tugging with all her might. Her hands kept slipping because of her gloves, and she threw them off in favor of a better grip. “Link! Can you hear us?” she shouted. The blue light beneath the door began to pulse, fading into a deep violet. “It’s dangerous, you need to get  _ out of there!”  _

* * *

 

The jerking behind the door distracted Fi only briefly before addressing Link at her feet.  _ “It is no longer safe here. I speak for  _ your  _ sake, not for Zelda’s.”  _

“But…!” he whimpered.  _ I don’t know where else to go. How can I go out and face the others?  _

_ Especially since no one has come to look for me.  _

_ “Please, flee from this place--!”  _ The ringing in his ears intensified, as well as Fi’s voice, morphing and changing before his ears. She started to break and cut out, as if from a badly tuned radio, and even her form blinked in and out with static.  _ “Before...before-- _

“Something awful happens.”

The voice dove into a deep tenor, and the blue glow of the room washed completely into a deep violet, the energy crackling all around Link. Blinking around, Fi had disappeared from the podium, and was replaced with a pale figure cloaked in red, swishing his hair back from his face with one hand. With the other, in lightning speed, faster than Link could scramble back away, he whipped out a sword and

_ stabbed it _

directly into Link’s chest.

_ “Ghh!”  _

The sword grew in length, piercing his back out through his right shoulder, and the figure began to chuckle as he lifted Link up with the sword.  _ What?!  _ He tried to lift his right arm, but it had gone numb from the wound, so he scrambled with his left to try and yank the blade out of him. Blood soaked his tunic, dripping to the floor below. 

“Oh, Demise will be  _ most  _ please when he hears that I,  _ Lord  _ Ghirahim, has slain the young hero!” he chortled. He twisted the blade in his shoulder, making the cords on Link’s neck stand out in the excrutiating pain. “Come, now. Any last words?” 

“Hhgh... _haAAAH!”_ _It hurts, it hurts!_ He kicked his legs before it became too exhausting, sweat dripping down his brow. Fatigue from blood loss darkened his vision, what was left of his pulse pounding in his ears. “Let...me...g-gh…”

_ SNAP!  _

The door finally barged open, Link’s bow splintering into pieces on the ground, some of them falling into the crack. He watched the ribbon for where the knock was meant to be flutter deep into the chasm, lost to time and space.  _ “Link!”  _ Samus cried. “And who the  _ fuck  _ are you?!”

Two laser bullets whizzed past him, the shock of it jarring Ghirahim back and finally releasing him from his sword, collapsing on the ground in a heap. Vertigo throttled his head as he settled in a pool of his own blood, struggling to breathe. “Come on, pick him up!” Samus commanded, still shooting. 

Ghirahim snarled. “Of course,  _ company.  _ Why, even Princess Zelda showed up. Is that the Princess? You look awfully old, dear--”

“You shut the  _ fuck up!”  _ Another slew of lasers flew from her gun, sparking the electricity in the air into a frenzy of static.  _ “ZELDA!”  _

In the meantime, fine hands trickled under his shoulders, around his back in an attempt to grasp him. It was too difficult for him to focus his eyes on anything, shapes blurring into abstract colors. “I-I c-can’t...Gods th-there’s b-blood everywhere…” 

Zelda’s voice was faint in his ears, as she hoisted him by his arms, the wound in his upper chest hollering in pulsing agony. “Nnngh…” he groaned, lolling his head back into her bosom.  _ Zelda. Am I going to die here? _

_ Am I going to die without amounting to anything…? _

“Help me!” Zelda pleaded, still trying to pull him while her gloves stained red. “H-he’s too heavy!”

“For crying out loud…!” Samus shot a few more times at the podium, toppling it over with a heavy crash. Ghirahim’s form lingered for a split second, sword dripping, then he whirled his cape around and vanished, leaving the assist room humming with energy. Samus rushed over and hoisted Link up with one arm, throwing him over her shoulder. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Blood splattered over her back as she jogged out toward the door. “You shouldn’t carry him like that! He’ll bleed out!” Zelda exclaimed, running on the opposite side of the crack and holding the door open for her. Her gloves squelched on the handle, and with a grimace, she peeled them off, leaving them behind with a wet smack on the floor.

Link’s eyes fluttered open as soon as they were clear of the assist room, briefly meeting Zelda’s while he could still focus. He reached a single hand out to her, weak and trembling, and due to her ragged pace, his fingertips brushed against her face, leaving a streak of blood against her pale skin. “I’m...sorry,” he croaked, sputtering as he dropped limp against Samus’ shoulder.

“Don’t talk,” Samus directed, lowering him down against the hallway walls, propping him up more gently than she had grabbed him before. “I can’t believe I have to tell you that…” The puncture wound was easy to see, and she ripped open his tunic, trying to shed his layers as delicately as possible to get to the source. “Gods, that’s a nasty mark…” 

Link’s head lolled to his opposite shoulder, before rolling around to his chest while the ladies undressed him. “It’s...stopped bleeding,” Zelda whispered. She poked around the edges, making Link wince.

“You’re right,” Samus marvelled, then snapped in front of Link’s face. “Hey, you still with us? Hang in there…”

Link grunted, blood beginning to bubble through his teeth.  _ I don’t know...if I can.  _

_...I didn’t think anyone would come for me. _

_ Samus, Zelda. _

_ Thank you. _

His eyelids fluttered briefly, before unconsciousness draped over him, a heavy blanket, and lulled him to sleep. 


	9. Phase 8

A day later, Samus sat backwards in a folding chair in front of the entire roster of challengers, all with varying looks of confusion on their faces.  _ Maybe it’s just the early morning. Not everyone gets up at 6 AM.  _ “All right, listen up, everyone,” she said, assessing the group. “I’ve got an important announcement.

“The Assist Trophy room--the one down at the end of the east hall, big double doors?--is  _ off-limits  _ until further notice. No one goes in there, not even a peek. We almost lost one of our own in there, and there’s quite the mess to clean up.” 

_ (blood blood everywhere, on her dress, on my suit, all over the floor, how can one person hold so much blood?) _

She grit her teeth. “And after we lost a few challengers in the last induction, we’re  _ not  _ losing anymore. You got it?”

A man clad in modern military gear, seated in the front row with an eyepatch over his eye, raised his hand. “SNAKE” was embroidered in black over his heart. “Excuse me,” he asked. “Some of us haven’t even  _ been  _ over that way. You’re saying we can’t--”

_ “No excuses,  _ little man,” she snapped, aiming her gun at his head. Snake skidded back in his chair, backing up almost into Ike’s lap. The latter gently straightened him back into his chair. “No ifs, ands, or buts.  _ No one _ goes into the Assist Trophy room. Got it?”

A few murmurs rifled through the crowd. “I  _ said,  _ are we  _ clear?!”  _

_ “Yes!”  _

The answer was resounding, including a few “ma’am”s thrown in for good measure, and she smirked, raising her head up. “Good,” she replied. “Dismissed.”

The group shuffled off in a cacophony of conversation, but Zelda wormed her way through the crowd in order to catch up with her. “I don’t think you needed to be that harsh,” she said. 

“Sometimes, you’ve got to be firm. Better than actually showing the mess that was left behind, yeah?”

“R-right…” She wrung her hands. “Did you even ask Mario?”

“I don’t think I needed to.” Samus nodded over to the corner of the foyer, where Mario stood against the wall, watching the rest of the fighters head off to their next destination. Upon catching her eye, he tipped his hat to her and turned back down the small way to his office. “See?”

Zelda nodded. “Right.” She bit her lip, curling it over her teeth. “Link’s still...recovering?”

“Mmhmm,” she replied, scooting the seat out from under her and shaking out her legs. “I’d better go down to his room, in case he wakes up.”

“Can I come?” she asked. 

“No,” Samus replied bluntly, holstering her gun in her belt. “I already told you, it’d probably be best if he saw someone else first. Trust me, I’ll let you know when he’s awake.”

Zelda stared at the ground, scuffing a shoe at the floor.  _ She feels guilty still,  _ Samus thought.  _ It’s not her fault. Hell, I don’t think anyone knew that the assist room was that unstable. And if the first word out of her mouth to him is going to be “I’m sorry”, it’s not going to bode well for anyone.  _

“All right,” she said finally. “Just...keep me updated.”

“I will.”

* * *

 

_ (It is raining. But, I can’t feel it on my face. _

_ The woods are dark and claustrophobic--every step I take I’m dodging another tree, another root, ducking under another branch. I’m looking for someone, I’m searching. There’s no light, and I don’t have a torch. I don’t even have my sword, or my shield.  _

_ I’m at the mercy of the wood. _

_ A flash of white, in the corner of my vision. I turn toward it, and it’s gone sooner than I can register. Wait, it’s over there now. Then ahead of me. White dress. Blonde hair. I try to pick up my pace, but my legs feel like they’re wearing iron boots, every step a hassle, weighing a ton on its own. Damn it, move, feet! She’s going to disappear if I don’t speed up-- _

_ I’m so close to reaching her, then she turns to me, looking bright as the day _

_ and she says something _

_ I see her lips move but I don’t hear anything _

_ let me hear your voice _

_ please…) _

* * *

 

_ (I’ve had this same dream...a thousand times… _

_ is this what dying is like?  _

_ Is this my punishment?) _

* * *

 

The noon sun stretched long and luminescent on Link’s face, and he wrinkled his nose.  _ Ugh… _ Opening his eyes was the first step, slow and easy to adjust to the sunlight.  _ Am I actually awake this time?  _ He stretched his arm to shield his eyes properly from the sun, and felt the pressure against his forehead.  _ I must be.  _

“Hey, morning, sleepyhead. Or, afternoon.” 

Groggily, Link attempted to turn over to the voice, but his chest cried out in pain, making him clutch at the wound. He found that he was shirtless, except for several bandages wrapped around his shoulder and his back.  _ Ah...how...how am I… _

“Take it easy, champ. Don’t sit up so fast.” More awake than he was before, he discerned the voice as Samus’ before she scooted her chair into view, tossing an apple in her hand. “How’re you feeling?” 

“Nn…” He rubbed his head, shaking it a little. As his eyes adjusted, the familiar sight of his dorm room registered in his view--the dresser, with his ocarina on top of it, the open bathroom door just by the foot of the bunk bed; the blue walls and half open closet. “I…”

His fragment hung in the air for a moment, before Samus cocked her head and slid back to the desk. “Don’t force yourself,” she advised gently. “Here, let me get you some paper…” 

She dug through the desk for a notebook and a pen, then placed it in his lap. He flexed his left hand, gingerly wrapping his fingers around the pen. It felt clunky in his hands, but he wrote nonetheless.  _ “How long have I been asleep?”  _

Samus had scooted around so she could read from behind his shoulder without him having to make any effort. “About three days,” she replied. “A couple of us have been taking shifts keeping an eye on you. Didn’t want you to wake up all by yourself after all that.”

He tapped the pen on the notebook. _After...all that._ He sighed through his teeth. _“What happened after?”_ he wrote. _After I passed out._

“Well, first, we tried to bandage that wound with what we had, but it turns out we didn’t need to,” she explained. “Once you were out of the assist room, most of the bleeding had stopped. Whatever keeps us from getting hurt in fights must’ve kicked in again.” She sighed out her nose, her voice strangely dropping. “You...were so pale.”

Link bit his lip.  _ Samus… _

“So, we took you to the infirmary out in the south end.” She leaned her head against the bedpost, her usual demeanor returning. “Mario and Peach treated you, then hauled you back in here. And here you’ve been.”

_ Three days asleep,  _ he mused, staring down at the notebook.  _ Feels like...it’s been longer. Time’s been...all messed up in my head. Funny, wasn’t I supposed to be the “hero of time”? Or something like that?  _

“Link,” Samus said, inching her way over so she could look at his face. “You...had a lot of us really worried, you know that?”

His lips parted, but no sound came out.  _ I...didn’t know. I thought...I was… _

_ Ah… _

He nodded at first, then shook his head, rubbing his eyes furiously. “I-I’ve been…” he began, a hoarse whisper that cut at the edges. “I’ve been lonely.” 

She sighed and patted his shoulder. “I can tell,” she said, then backed off once Link winced. “Oops, that’s your bad one isn’t it? Sorry.” She withdrew to place a hand at his thigh instead. “I know...it’s tough being here. But it’s fun too, yeah?”

_ I...guess so. In its own way.  _ He nodded, then scribbled down onto the notebook.  _ “I don’t remember much from before anymore.”  _

“Yeah, I’m getting the same way, too. This place is home now, whether we like it or not.”

_ Home, huh.  _ The thought of it tightened his chest, burned his throat, and broke through to his face in a stretched grimace. “You have people who care about you here,” Samus stated. “Myself included. So, don’t run away from us anymore, okay?

“We’re here for you, Link.”

_ We’re here for you. _

_ We’re here for you. _

“Ah…” Tears brimmed at his eyes.  _ What have I...been doing? I’ve been...lost.  _ “Th...th…” The words hitched behind his teeth, like a tiger caught in a trap. His shoulder shook, head hung, and gravity pulled tears down his face. “Th...th-a...ank…”

“Hey, hey now…” Samus soothed. “N-no need to get all weepy. Everything’s okay now.” Avoiding the wound, she leaned forward and gave him a one armed hug, burying her head in his good shoulder. “It takes a lot to scare me, kiddo,” she muttered, so low he could barely hear it. “So, don’t do it again, please?”

“Samus…”  _ I didn’t even realize you were scared. You’re always so tough. Ever since the beginning.  _

_ The beginning...when we used to spar together all the time. I can’t believe...I almost forgot.  _

_ I’ve really been pretty...foolish, haven’t I?  _

_ I didn’t have to be lonely.  _

He stroked the back of her ponytail, blonde hair soft and fine. “I promise,” he whispered.

She sniffled, swallowing thick. “Good.” His bare shoulder felt damp underneath her face. “I’m holding you to it--” 

_ “Pikachu!”  _

The electric mouse bounded into the dorm, bouncing off the bedpost and nudging its way between Link and Samus, static sparks showering all around. “Yeah, he’s finally awake!” Samus said, withdrawing and sitting back in her chair. Pikachu took no notice, nuzzling against Link’s face while purring.

“Hi there,” Link murmured, scratching behind its ears. His hair began to stand on end from the static, and the instant his other hand touched the blanket over him, the sharp sting of electricity surged through him. “Ow--!”

“Don’t shock him too much, he’s still in recovery,” Samus remarked, smirking as she leaned back. 

_ “Pi, pika!”  _ Pikachu’s tail flicked back and forth, thwacking against the edge of the blankets and kicking up more static. 

“Why don’t you let Link get dressed, and then we can take him out to see everyone else?” she suggested, winking at him. “We had to chuck your tunic because...well, you know. M.H. got you another green outfit, it’s hanging up on the bathroom door.”

He nodded with a smile--the first one that came easy in a long time--and Pikachu finally crawled around his neck, off the bedpost, and into Samus’ arms as she stood up. “Take your time, we’ll be right outside.” 

She stepped out with Pikachu on her shoulder, the door clicking gently behind her, and he stretched again, swinging his legs around the edge of the bed. He found that his legs weren’t used to standing after three days of rest, as he had to use the top bunk for support.  _ I’m out of shape,  _ he thought, wandering over to the bathroom door. Indeed, an entire tunic set was neatly hung with a hanger on the hook on the door.  _ I only did a few fights in the time I wasn’t around. And it was hard then. I barely had the energy, and I couldn’t focus… _

He eased the pale undershirt over his head first, shoulder tender, and forwent the chainmail to just wear his tunic.  _ Not like I’ll be fighting today, though. I’ll have to see how I should go about drills.  _

Pants were next, then socks, boots, and finally his hat, long and green over his mop of blonde hair. He slipped into the bathroom to get a glance at himself in the mirror. Dark circles marked under his eyes, and his face was thinner, paler than usual.  _ I look like a mess.  _ His stomach growled, and he instinctively held it.  _ When was the last time I ate? I...don’t remember.  _

He gripped the sides of the sink and stared himself down in the mirror. “You’re okay,” he muttered to himself.  _ You’ll be okay. _

_ (you still have to see her again) _

The whites of his knuckles showed stark against his tightly gripped hands.  _ I know it. But, I can’t run away anymore. Look at what happened.  _

_ Ah… _

He cranked the faucet on and doused his face with icy water, gasping at the sensation.  _ I’ll be okay.  _ And with a towel to his face, he made his way to the door, ready to face the world outside. 

What he wasn’t prepared for was the bustle of challengers right outside of his door, the most immediate being Marth right in front of the hallway. “Link! You  _ are  _ awake!” he exclaimed, hugging him briefly. “Ah, I shouldn’t be so hasty. Your shoulder is still healing, correct?”

He rubbed it and nodded, dazed at the sudden attention. “What, you think I was talking to myself in there? Of course he’s awake,” Samus quipped, leaning against the wall right beside the door. 

“Oh, thank goodness!” Peach snuck around Marth and held his hands in hers, looking him over. “How is it looking? Mario and I weren’t sure if it would heal properly…”

_ “It’s okay,”  _ Link mouthed, lifting a hand to pat it, as well as giving an “OK” symbol with his hand.  _ So many people…!  _

_ “Puyo!”  _ Kirby scuttled up to Link’s feet, holding a plate with a neat slice of strawberry shortcake on it with an accompanying fork, each berry perfectly shaped and ripe. He bounced on his small feet, the plate rattling. He knelt to his level, taking the plate from his head, feeling his stomach gurgle in response. 

_ This looks delicious,  _ he thought, and tried to convey it with a beaming face. Kirby clapped in response, whirling around to sport a hat remarkably similar to Link’s own. He giggled as he stabbed a fork into the moist cake with just the right amount of whipped cream. “Mm!” he exclaimed as soon as it touched his tongue, taste-buds flooded with sweetness. Each consecutive bite went by faster as he rose back to his feet.

“At least-a your appetite’s back.” Mario appeared at his side and patted his back. “Good to-a see you on your feet again, Link.”

“Mmfm!” His mouth was half full as he attempted to address him, pointing to him with his fork and then gesturing to his shoulder.  _ You and Peach helped heal this...thank you.  _

“It’s no trouble,” Mario replied, reading his gestures. “I-a have an adjusted drill sheet for you, when you’re ready.”

Samus poked around the corner. “Oy, you’ve got a little something…” She poked his nose, wiping off a bit of cream off onto her finger. He snickered, scratching the back of his head now that his plate was empty. “A little eager, huh?

“Oh yeah, don’t let us crowd you. There are more people to see out in the foyer.”

Samus winked at him and gently pushed him out of the throng of people, kickstarting his pace through the hallway.  _ More people to see? Does that mean...there were more people worried about me?  _

_ Ah… _

Surprisingly, the foyer was mostly empty, except for a head peering up from a couch. He could tell who it was just by the crown on their head, the way their hair parted. His heart skipped, jumping right up to his throat and throttling his breathing.  _ I-it’s...her.  _

_ (you knew this would come eventually _

_ you can’t avoid her forever) _

Link had no time to make a decision about this, for upon hearing his footsteps, she jerked around, eyes wide, and jumped off the couch, running up to him. She stopped just short, hands clasped together, gaze fixed on his shoulder. “You’re up…!” she said. “How does it feel?” 

He glanced back down the hall--Samus lingered in the entrance, but too far to eavesdrop. “It...hurts, still,” he whispered.  _ That could...apply to more than just this.  _ He bit the inside of his cheek.  _ You’re still just as beautiful.  _

“I-I can imagine. You w-were...bleeding a lot.” She held her hands to her mouth, trembling for a moment. She continued to stare at where it would be, traces of bandages peeking out around his neck, then sighed and pulled him into an embrace. “I am...so glad you’re okay.”

Link’s heart stopped in his chest, arms frozen out around her.  _ Zelda…  _ Gradually, his hands trickled onto her back, just enough to register a hold. “I...me too,” he replied, nodding into her shoulder.  _ It will be okay. I’ll be okay.  _

_ I’ll be okay.  _


	10. Phase 9

Samus sighed long and loud through her nose. “So, that’s about it,” she concluded, slapping her thighs. “The rest is just filler. He did some rehab training, and over time, him and Zelda worked back up to normal speaking terms, all before the fourth wave.”

Cloud was still pacing, a hand over his mouth.  _ Link...Link… _

“Roy came back too, obviously, although  _ none  _ of us really expected it. You should’ve seen the bear hug they gave each other.” She snickered and shook her head. “Shame they didn’t get roomed back together. But, then again, that left room for you to show up. It works out.”

He nodded, eyes wide at the floor.  _ You suffered...so much. And yet you still keep that brave, sunny look on your face. You still...mostly keep that all in. How can you manage that? I don’t think I could… _

The moon was bright and full above the observatory, but Samus stood and clicked on the lamp in the corner anyway, stretching her legs. “Well, wasn’t that a nice, feel good story?” she remarked sarcastically. “Now you know, anyway. Don’t know how much good it’ll do you…”

“I…” He took the hand that was over his mouth and ran it through his pale, spiky hair. “I need...to go. I’ve got to go see him.” 

“Well, go, then. I’m not going to stop you.” She stared up at the ceiling, tapping her foot. “Damn, I really did want to do some practicing today. Guess I’ll have to get at it early tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” He backed up further and further until he was right at the door, and he fumbled with the handle behind him. “Th-thanks...for all this.”

She saluted him with two fingers. “No prob, loverboy,” she replied.

Cloud’s lip curled. “Will you _ ever  _ stop calling me that?” 

“Nope.” Samus stuck out her tongue. “Go on, your boyfriend probably misses you.”

He twisted his head with a raise of his eyebrows, and hurried out of the observatory, skidding before reaching the stairwell.  _ Damn it, I have all these fucking  _ stairs  _ to go down. I guess it’s easier down than up.  _ He took a deep breath and began taking them two at a time, as fast as his boots would carry him, hanging off the railings at each turn of the stairs.  _ To think that even someone like him could be crippled by despair...I know Ganon mentioned that he’d “learned his lesson”, that he got caught up in the trophy room, but I thought maybe it was like what we saw with Sonic.  _

_ This was way,  _ way  _ worse.  _

_ Strange thing is, I don’t know if I can blame him. If I saw someone like Zack, or Aerith in the assist room...would I want to leave? _

His foot snagged on something he couldn’t see, and he went sprawling forward.  _ “Ack!”  _ he yelped, barely catching himself on the railing. “What the  _ hell--”  _

Whipping all around, he finally spotted Sheik perched a flight above him, and they jumped down without a sound in front of him. “You were with Samus most of the day,” they said. 

“Y-yeah, what of it?” he grumbled, rubbing his lower back.  _ Did they trip me to get my attention? Typical, for a ninja… _

_ (“You know about Sheik, right?”) _

“She was talking to you about Link’s history here,” they stated, red eyes narrowed at him.

“Yes,” he replied slowly. “About...him and Zelda, too.”

They crossed their arms and leered over him, using their position a stair above him to their advantage. “You shouldn’t ask things like that behind his back,” they remarked. 

“Hey, he  _ wanted  _ me to know, okay?” Cloud retorted. “He just didn’t want to tell me himself.”  _ Whatever Zelda knows, Sheik will know too.  _ “...I can see why, after hearing it.”

They nodded slowly, looking off and curling their fingers underneath the bandages on their arms. “It was hard for both of them. It was an awful situation that...only got worse as things progressed.”

“Yeah, I know.” Cloud leaned back as Sheik drew even closer, nearly nose to nose with him. “Wh-what is it? Look, I’m j-just trying to get back to him--”

They pulled down the bandages covering their mouth, their voice smoother than usual. “You’re good for him,” they confided quietly. “Better than...she could have done.”

_ Sheik...or, is it Zelda, talking through them?  _ “I-it’s...er…” Cloud stammered, drawing a blank as they continued to stare at him. “You don’t--”

“Thank you,” they said. “For taking care of him.”

“Ah…”  _ Even though Zelda may not have loved him like Link wanted, she still...really worries about him. I guess despite everything, there’s still some kind of connection.  _ “It’s...it’s nothing, really. I...want to.” 

_ (that bright smiling face, that shines no matter what, freckles gleaming, toothy and full of fun) _

_ I want to keep that light for as long as I can.  _

Sheik took a step back, rolling something between their fingers Cloud couldn’t quite see. “I know,” they said. “That’s what love is.”

With a flick of their wrist, a cloud of smoke erupted around them, and Cloud shielded his eyes. Coughing, by the time he could see again, Sheik had disappeared completely, leaving no traces behind whatsoever.  _ Just like that, huh?  _ he thought, staring at the spot where they stood.  _ That’s what love is… _

He huffed and continued his journey down the many stairs--if he leaned over the railing far enough, he could just barely see the ground floor, and it compelled him to push his legs faster, even though they ached.  _ After hearing all that...there were so many things that he did for her, he did for me too. He played me the ocarina after that horrible episode in the Fortress. Was he afraid?  _

_ (all those shadows) _

_ There were multiple Zeldas. But the one he was trying to protect back then...was me.  _

_ Link…!  _

Finally, he rounded the last set of stairs, entering the foyer, washed with warm incandescent light. He paused to catch his breath, wiping a sheen of sweat off the top of his brow.  _ Almost there.  _ His pulse finally subsided in his ears to filter through conversation. “...and you’ve got that same counter, man! I think it’s ‘cause your sword’s so--yo, look who it is! Hey, Cloud!  _ Cloud!”  _

_ Damn it.  _ He turned on one heel to Roy running toward him, Marth half in tow. “Hey, Roy,” Cloud sighed. “Listen, I’m kind of in a hurry--”

“How was the rest of that little story? Was it epic? Was I strong and cool?” He posed and flexed his arms, kissing his bicep. Behind him, Marth rolled his eyes and took his distraction to sneak away.  _ No, don’t leave me here with him--!  _

“It was  _ fine,”  _ he replied, constantly backing up to the west hall. “Could you just--”

Roy suddenly grabbed the cuff of his turtleneck and brought him down to whispering range. “Hey. I know what you guys were talking about,” he muttered. “It was about Link, right?”

“Er, yeah--”

“Yeah, I know  _ all  _ about that.” He twisted the neck of Cloud’s shirt in his grip, staring off with clenched teeth. “I hope you don’t think I’m an asshole after getting the scoop.”

“Why…?”

“It was  _ me _ who told him about the assist room. If I hadn’t, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten fucked up like he did.” He huffed through his teeth. “Y’know, and if I hadn’t up and left. It wasn’t my fault, man. I just woke up one morning, and  _ boom,  _ I was back in Ostia. But, it wasn’t the same. I didn’t realize it, but I forgot a  _ ton  _ of shit, and it showed. Lilina thought I’d gone crazy, or somethin’.” 

“Roy…”

“I fought hard to try and figure out a way to get back in here. Like, when I first got to this weird-ass place, it feels like you’re a puzzle piece outta place. But then going  _ back,  _ to where you’re originally from? It was just worse.” He shook his head, a dry snicker in the back of his throat. “Besides, I couldn’t just leave my bro hangin’ like that, you feel me?” He finally looked down at Cloud, a strained smile throttled by his teeth on his face. “Link’s one of the best there is.”

The intensity in his eyes was something Cloud had only really seen on the battlefield, and because of this, his hands itched for his sword.  _ Why are you telling me this?  _ he thought, the cyan of his own eyes reflecting on Roy’s dark, black-blue ones. “Y-yeah,” he replied finally.

Roy chuckled, releasing him and cracking his neck. “‘Course you already know that,” he said. “You’re the one who’s been keeping him smiling, after all.” He jabbed his arm and his stomach. 

Cloud choked as he rubbed his gut. “All right, go, man,” Roy said. “You’ve probably had your ear talked off by Sammy and me. And I gotta go bug Marth some more, anyway. Catch ya later!” 

“Yeah, see you,” Cloud replied. Roy’s cape swished behind him as he jogged back across the foyer, and a shout built up in his throat before he could stop it.  _ “Hey!”  _

He whipped around, walking backwards. “What?” he called back.

“You’re…” Cloud paused, immediately feeling foolish. “You’re not an asshole.”

“Gee, thanks!” Roy laughed and saluted him, before vanishing further back into the foyer. 

Cloud huffed, crossing his arms.  _ Hard to imagine Link felt lonely, when he’s got all these people looking out for him. No more interruptions, straight back to the dorm… _

It was a quick jog down the hall, and Cloud flung the door open without so much as a knock or a warning. Link jumped back, in a t-shirt and pajama pants (adorned with horses), and greeted Cloud with a sleepy wave. His hair was messy, and only the lamp was on--an orangey glow encompassing the small dorm. A smile crept onto Cloud’s face. “H-hey,” he started, then rushed in and hugged him, hard and fierce.

“Oof--!” Link exclaimed, returning it gently, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck and kissing him there, once, twice, three times. “So...you heard everything,” he whispered.

“Yeah. Everything.” Cloud held him at a distance, then lifted his shirt up to examine his shoulder.  _ The scar’s still there,  _ he thought, rubbing his thumb over the discolored skin, healed over time.  _ I don’t know how I never noticed that there before.  _

Link squirmed away for full use of his hands.  _ “There’s one on my back too. The other side,”  _ he signed, and turned around for him to see. Cloud kept his shirt up, and sure enough, there was a smaller scar to match, surrounded by tiny freckles. Cloud bent down to kiss it, and as he did, he felt goosebumps rise on Link’s back. “H-hey…” he murmured, a giggle on his breath.

Cloud slid off his boots and his pants and sat back on the bottom bunk, and Link soon joined him, settling right into his shoulder, hugging him around his waist. “You went through  _ hell,”  _ Cloud murmured, stroking his hair. “I...I never knew…”

_ “Most of the new challengers don’t,”  _ he signed, keeping his hands close to Cloud’s chest.  _ “They don’t need to, anyway. Just not to expect a lot out of the assist room…”  _

“Right.”  _ I wonder if Sonic’s still going there? He probably doesn’t know…  _

“I was foolish,” Link sighed. “It was lucky that Samus and Zelda came for me, even though...even when I thought I was all alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Cloud kissed his temple. “And not just ‘cause of me, either. Seems like a ton of people were worried about you.”

He nodded, then scooted off the bed and walked to the desk. He swiped his bow off it and carried it back, nuzzling right back into Cloud. “This is the same bow,” he said, holding it out for him. “I...managed to fix it, even though it was broken all to pieces.”

Cloud squinted at it. It was freshly restrung from the day before, sporting a yellow ribbon where the knock lay. The handle was covered in fabric over varnish, and had a smooth feel despite its piecemeal look. Upon closer inspection, he could see dark, reddish stains over some of the cracks, overlapping like patchwork. Cloud’s stomach turned.  _ That’s...definitely blood.  _ “I’m surprised you didn’t get a new one,” he remarked, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.

“I’m a little sentimental.” Link poked at the ribbon, then pushed the bow aside and scooted up to look into Cloud’s face. “When...you first arrived, you reminded me a lot of myself, when I first got here.” He stroked a hand back through his hair, then ran a thumb over his cheek and chin, smiling softly all the while. “Quiet, scared, confused...but strong. And lonely. And I...had the feeling you felt that way even before you got sent here.”

_ Ah.  _ “L-Link…”  _ Was it...that obvious? I barely knew who I was when I got here, but you… _

“I didn’t want you to ever feel lonely,” he whispered. “Like you had...no place to go. I didn’t want you to feel like I did back then.” Link’s hand snaked to the back of his head and brought their foreheads together. “And I...guess I fell in love with you along the way.”

Cloud bit his lip to contain his smile, but it was nearly impossible, spreading through his cheeks and brightening up his entire face. “You…” he muttered, even as Link giggled, kissing his cheek. 

“I love that smile,” Link whispered, and kissed his mouth instead--warm, soft, and full.  _ I missed you,  _ Cloud thought, returning it as wholeheartedly as he could muster, covering Link’s hands with his own.  _ Even though it was just the day, I still missed you. How sappy is that?  _

_ Ah, but... _

“Mmn…” Cloud broke the kiss. “But you...keep on smiling, even after all of...all of that. How do you do it?” He lowered their hands together, fumbling to lace his fingers between Link’s. “If it were me, I’d...I’d have given up a while ago…”

“Don’t say that,” Link interrupted. His fingers twitched as he spoke, as if trying to sign, but reluctant to let go. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“So are you,” Cloud replied immediately. The small phrase made Link tilt his head, blinking in surprise.  _ So are you. Even if you don’t quite believe it, _

_ you’re still a hero to me.  _

“I…”  _ Just say it, just say it. You mean it, don’t you?  _ “I love you, Link.” His throat went dry as he said it, adrenaline pumping through his veins. “And I’ll help make sure...you never feel lonely again.”

A half sigh escaped from Link’s lips as his hands and shoulders drooped, eyes brighter than ever, and he withdrew them from Cloud’s grip to sign and speak shakily. “I love you too, Cloud.” A finger pointed at his chest, then two hands across his heart, and then a “C”, tapped right over his heart as well. “We’re here for each other.” 

Cloud nodded, heart soaring in his chest as he hugged Link close to him again.  _ We’re here for each other. That’s right.  _

_ And we won’t be lonely anymore.  _

_ END. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested, I made a "fanmix" of this while I was writing it. [You can check it out here.](http://shadsy.co.vu/private/146677978057/tumblr_o4eb1p9hY41trvvkd)


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